Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 – 1861) was an English poet and social reformer, regarded as one of the most significant literary figures of the Victorian era. Her works, including Sonnets from the Portuguese and Aurora Leigh, addressed themes of love, social justice, and women’s rights.
Born in County Durham, she began writing poetry at age 11 and published her first collection in 1826. A lifelong battle with chronic illness did not deter her literary success. She gained recognition with Poems (1844), which drew praise from Robert Browning, leading to their famous courtship. Despite her father’s objections, they secretly married in 1846 and moved to Italy, where she spent the rest of her life.
Barrett Browning was an outspoken abolitionist and critic of child labor, using her poetry to advocate for social reform. Her verse novel Aurora Leigh (1856) explored gender roles and women’s independence. She influenced poets like Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson.
She passed away in Florence in 1861, leaving behind a literary legacy that continues to inspire. Her grave in the English Cemetery of Florence remains a site of admiration.