An Analysis and Summary of Three Critical Works: Analyzing Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Works: Based Upon Religion

Summary of, “From Samuel B. Holcombe, “Death of Mrs. Browning,” Southern Literacy Messenger 33 (December 1861): 412-17”

            This analysis of Elizabeth Browning is rather interesting. While Elizabeth was rather popular, and much more popular than her husband, there were a few critics from her time that did not speak fondly about her works and many times Elizabeth was merely criticized because she was a woman; Samuel B. Holcombe was not one of these critics, however. Holcombe did not focus on the fact that Elizabeth was a woman, but instead focused on the quality of her work. Holcombe states that, “She [Elizabeth] is truly the Shakespeare among her sex; and yet, no woman has written in a spirit of such genuine, intense, and pathetic womanliness…” (321).Within this analysis Holcombe continues on to talk about how Elizabeth is a “Christian poetess” (Holcombe 322). This comment is very important in analyzing Elizabeth’s works because much of her works does symbolize some sort of religious awakening. Holcombe not only believes that Elizabeth is one of the best women poets, but also claims within his article that the way she had written about her religious beliefs, Christianity as a whole, was absolutely outstanding. Holcombe claims that Elizabeth creates, “The recognition of a Divine Creator of all things, a Being of perfect love and wisdom, who is to each and all of His numberless creatures really and truly a Heavenly Father and personal protector, broods like an ever present spirit over the pages…” (Holcombe 322). Here it is not Elizabeth’s sex that defines her, but instead her religious beliefs and her ability to establish these beliefs in an artistic form for her readers. By doing this it seems that Elizabeth has experienced her success.  

Summary of, “From [Hannah Lawrance], “Mrs. Browning’s Poetry,” The British Quarterly Review 42 (October 1865): 359-84”

            This analysis of Elizabeth’s writings is also based upon her use of her religious beliefs within her texts. Within this analysis Lawrance discusses Elizabeth’s ability to bring the Virgin Mary to life. A woman, who was rarely thought about throughout Scripter, was made into more than just a name. In fact, Elizabeth was able to “call her [the Virgin Mary] into life” and create a woman that others were actually able to relate with. When “little had we before considered the large share of agony that mother bore in sympathy with the pains which wrought the redemption of the world, or that consciousness, stronger than in any other human being, that the Savior was really of the same flesh with her,” we were finally able to draw from her feelings and passion (Lawrance 323). Elizabeth used her beliefs in Christianity as a way to create works of art. Although these masterpieces were not created with a brush stroke, Elizabeth had the ability to create art with the stroke of her pen. Lawrance, like Holcombe, recognizes the beauty within Elizabeth’s works and overlooks the common criticism of her writings; the fact that she was a woman does not overpower her ability to portray Mary as a divine piece of the Christian faith, instead her faith overpowers her sex.

Summary of, “The True Mary: Being Mrs. Browning’s Poem: “The Virgin Mary to the Child Jesus,” with Comments and Notes (1868)”

            Like Lawrance’s article this article analyzes Elizabeth’s capability of taking the Virgin Mary and creating her into a woman of feeling and passion, a woman worth praising. Although Mary has received some recognition throughout the years and has had some items written about her the articles brings into question if anything or anyone “has ever written more worthily of Mary, with more profound or more delicate and lovely thoughts of her as the mother of the Holy Child?” (The 323). The analysis continues to explain that the skills/ techniques that Elizabeth uses within her writings are “perfect, and strikingly characteristic” (The 324). Like Lawrance’s article it is discussed that typically we do not think about Mary in “in-depth” biblical terms, and there really is not much mentioned about Mary in the Christian faith, in fact most of the time it is “almost discouraged honoring her [the Virgin Mary], as the highly favored of the Lord”; however, Elizabeth alters these views within her writings (The 323). Elizabeth develops Mary into an outstanding figure in Christianity. Elizabeth invents Mary with such “genuine purity and grace,” as with her “exquisite effort of the imagination, rich in fancy, yet sound in technology and entirely warranted by Holy Writ,” that Mary in turn becomes recognizable (The 323). Elizabeth does what others cannot; she takes the facts and creates beauty out of them. She sheds light on what others have not or merely cannot see, and she does this by simply allowing her faith to empower her.

Analysis of the Three Texts

            It is very interesting to read Elizabeth’s writings and Robert’s writings, as the two authors are very different. While both maintain religious context within their works, one may claim that Elizabeth was more rounded in hers; knowing what she wanted her readers to get from her text and delivering those messages with a strong intent of allowing her readers to receive them to their highest potential. While Robert’s texts maintained religious aspects to them his faith was much less defined than that of Elizabeth’s. It may seem that because of this Elizabeth’s text were produced on a more solid foundation. Elizabeth understood her faith and was able to use her beliefs to her benefit, while Robert seemed to be weighing his options.
            In a period where the Christian religion was highly thought of, creating a piece that was a pure representation of the religion was truly extravagant. Although many critics from Elizabeth’s time were unable to see past the fact that she was a woman, others like the three critics who wrote the above pieces, were able to do so. It was these critics that were able to experience the true beauty of Elizabeth’s works. Elizabeth was not just portraying the facts behind Christianity, but instead taking the facts and representing them as a masterpiece. While many knew of the Virgin Mary, most did not take her into any consideration. Yet, within Elizabeth’s works Mary becomes a part of the religion that you can no longer leave out. Mary begins to represent a beauty within Christianity that some may have never seen before and a passion and sympathy that some may have never experienced. Elizabeth creates all of this by the stroke of her pen.
            Although some critics were rather judgmental of the fact that she was a woman, this did not stop her from experiencing great success. Elizabeth was a woman, but not the average woman; she spoke wisdom within her faith, and because of that even the most prestige of men could not forsake her. As stated above, Elizabeth wrote during a period when Christianity was very significant to life, to men and women alike. In a way, we may see a dim light of coexistence presented within Elizabeth’s pieces. She writes of things that all individuals, men, women, old, and young, can relate with and because of this Elizabeth’s writings flourished amongst her readers. It allowed women and men to find a common ground, although it may not have been noticed, Elizabeth was breaking a barrier. She uses her faith to lift the souls of her readers and establish beauty in the unforeseen. For “…In the entire range of female poetry, there is absolutely nothing which deserves to be compared for a moment with the marvelous effusion of this poetess” (Holcombe 321).

Works Cited:

Holcombe, Samuel B. "Death of Mrs. Browning, Southern Literacy Messenger 33 (December 1861): 412-17." Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario:  Broadview Editions, 2009. 321-22. Print.

Lawrance, Hannah. "Mrs. Browning's Poetry, The British Quarterly Review 42 (October 1865): 359-84." Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario: Broadview Editions, 2009. 322-23. Print.

"The True Mary: Being Mrs. Browning's Poems: The Virgin Mary to the Child Jesus, with Comments and Notes (1868)." Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected Poems. Ed. Marjorie Stone and Beverly Taylor. Ontario: Broadview Editions, 2009. 323-24. Print.

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