Nineteenth-Century Perceptions of Robert Browning: The Poet Through His Own Eyes and Those of His Victorian Critics and Devoted Readers

The London Browning Society has been addressed by scholars in modern biographies such as The Life of Robert Browning: A Critical Biography (1996) by Clyde De L. Ryals, and it was studied in a 1969 book by William S. Peterson titled Interrogating The Oracle: A History of the London Browning Society. However, this thesis goes further by approaching the Society as the equivalent of a modern day “fan” community, and by providing a close look at some of the Society’s published documents. The purpose of doing so is to form a picture of Browning’s reputation during his life and career based on the perceptions of the critics of the day, the Society members, and the thoughts he had on himself and his own works. The thesis examines nineteenth-century reviews from journals contemporary to the time, the history and activities of the London Browning Society, and Browning’s interaction with both found in his letters. Lastly, the thesis looks at some of Browning’s most ambiguously autobiographical poetry, all of which are largely neglected by modern scholars in favor of the more obviously dramatic works, to see how he composed on topics with connections to his personal life, and how he influenced perceptions about his own character.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Martin, Kristi

• Browning, Robert

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/14658

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/14658