Elizabeth & Robert Browning
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways"
The poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning fell in love by letter; she, ill and dominated by a tyrannical father, eloped with him to Italy, where they lived happily and she wrote her "Sonnets from the Portuguese."
01Why it matters
Her love sonnets are among the most quoted in English; their elopement is a Victorian romantic legend.
02The conflict
Elizabeth's illness and her father's prohibition.
03The iconic moment
The secret elopement to Florence, defying her father.
04What survived
The "Sonnets from the Portuguese"; Casa Guidi in Florence.
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Elizabeth & Robert Browning famous?
Her love sonnets are among the most quoted in English; their elopement is a Victorian romantic legend.
How does the story of Elizabeth & Robert Browning end?
The secret elopement to Florence, defying her father. The "Sonnets from the Portuguese"; Casa Guidi in Florence.
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