The sonnets are some of the some of the most famous love poems of the Victorian Age, or any other. According to Wikipedia, the collection was originally called Sonnets from the Bosnian, but was changed to Portuguese after Robert’s suggestion, perhaps stemming from his nick-name for Elizabeth: “my little Portuguese.” In order to maintain some privacy, Browning disguised the title in hopes people would believe they were translations from foreign sonnets.

Originally, she did not plan to publish the collection due to their extremely personal content, but changed her mind after Robert Browning insisted, saying they were perhaps the best sequence of English-written sonnets since Shakespeare’s time. As the relationship progressed Barrett Browning was able to overcome her anxieties, and eventually, they took a more accepting and passionate tone. In the earlier sonnets she expresses her doubt and fear about beginning a relationship with Browning.

The content and tone of the sonnets change as her relationship with Browning relationship progressed. It is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written for her, then, future husband Robert Browning. Portrayed a Portuguese woman's love for a poet.Sonnets from the Portuguese was written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning between 18 and was published in 1850. Of hers that he admired ('Catarina to Camoens') and that Nickname for her, 'the Portuguese,' based on an earlier work The ways.' The volume's title played on her husband's Sonnet contains the famous line 'How do I love thee? Let me count The poems record the early days of their courtship, when the invalidĪuthor was reluctant to marry, her yielding to his love despite herįather's objections, and their final happiness together. Her husband Robert Browning in 1847, a year after they eloped to Italy. Largely upon these sonnets, which constitute one of the best-knownĮlizabeth Barrett Browning presented this volume of 44 sonnets to

Sonnets from the Portuguese Collection of love sonnets by Browning,Įlizabeth Barrett, published in 1850.

APA style: Sonnets from the Portuguese.

Sonnets from the Portuguese.' Retrieved from Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 1995 Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature, 2002 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

MLA style: 'Sonnets from the Portuguese.' The Free Library.

Sonnets from the portuguese 13