"Literary Links" - Elizabeth Barrett-Browning

"Literary Links" is a series of posts celebrating Britain's wonderful links with great authors, dramatists and poets.

Ledbury's Clock Tower and old Library building were constructed in 1892 and are named The Barrett- Browning Institute in honour of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). 

Mr Edward Moulton Barrett (1785-1857) lived just outside of Ledbury near the village of Colwall.   He was the wealthy owner of Jamaican sugar plantations run by slave labour.   His oldest daughter Elizabeth was cursed with poor health, but found great solace in reading and composing her own poems from an early age – poems which were good enough to be published and acclaimed.    Some of her poems actively opposed slavery – which was an awkward position to be in to advocate the end of your own father’s business. 

In 1844, now 38 years old, she published a volume simply called ‘Poems’.  It caught the eye of a fellow poet Robert Browning (1812-1889) who started corresponding.  Letters turned to love and love turned to marriage.   Her father was horrified at such a match.  He never forgave Elizabeth when she secretly married, and he disinherited her.   His embittered soul was finally laid to rest in Ledbury parish church where a memorial depicts him ascending into the heavens.   It is such a pity that he did not put aside his anger, and forgive and move on. 

Elizabeth’s words influenced other poets like Edgar Allan Poe, and Emily Dickinson.  One of Elizabeth’s most oft quoted poems is:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.

This is an excerpt from the tour Ledbury which explores this medieval market town.  The full tour is found on www.obelisktours.co.uk