After Tennyson, Robert Browning is the greatest name in dramatic monologue which enables him to explore the morbid states of the human mind. But, differences are clearly there between Tennyson and Browning's dramatic monologues. Browning was more focused on the soliloquies like Shakespeare and the patterns of John Donne. Through his works, we are able to know about his minute examination of the problems of the different characters present in the poem. He spent a great range of time in Italy, therefore, his works like Fra Lippo Lippi and Andrea del Sarto are highly influenced by the Italian Renaissance. We all know Browning for his best dramatic monologue, My Last Duchess, that’s the reason we are not going to talk about his famous poems. In this article we would briefly discuss some of his offbeat works which equally manifest his talent and enormous passion for poetry. So, let’s look into them –
Fra Lippo Lippi (1855)
In this poem, Browning portrays a real-life character who was basically a 15th century painter and a Florentine monk, Fra (brother) Lippo Lippi. This poem questions art whether it should be true to life or an idealized image of life. Interestingly, this poem presents a debate on soul versus flesh and Browning presented the entire debate in blank verse, non-rhyming pentameter.
Rabbi Ben Ezra
It is about one of the greatest poets and scholars of the 12th century, Abraham ibn Ezra who worked on grammar, astronomy and the astrolabe. Through this character Browning describes his religious philosophy. He portrays life as a pot which is decorated by God, and for him the value of a person should be judged based on the character that has been molded. Through this poem, the poet is trying to be optimistic towards old age and death as he has seen it as the ‘best of life’ in the context of wisdom and insight.
‘Grow old along with me! / The best is yet to be’
Sordello
Browning gave his seven years to this poem but it was still considered notorious, obscure and a critical failure. It is based on the psychology of a genius and the devotion of soul. The 13th century poet, who has been described in this poem, is divided between the poetic imagination and politics.
Lastly, we want to put an end to this discussion with some of the lines from his masterpiece, My Last Duchess, a monologue full of power and conflict -
‘This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together.’
