The Evolution of Elizabeth Barrett Browning in her Poetry and Letters (2004)

Undergraduates: Natalie Phillips, Devon Fisher

Faculty Advisor: Beverly Taylor
Department: English & Comparative Literature

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The project analyzes Elizabeth Barrett Browning's response to the sexual double standard of the Victorian Age. Through a textual analysis of Barrett Browning's poetry in conjunction with a historical study of her personal letters, I discovered a clear progression in both her poems and her letters towards a more enlightened perception of gender roles. Barrett Browning has been the focus of much critical attention since the 1970s and is viewed by many in the literary community as an important pioneer of feminist thought.