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Rhythm of language: English has more of a Germanic rhythm of accented/unaccented, compared to French, where all syllables are equal.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806. Her mother died when she was about 20. She published her first book of poetry when age 22, and became so famous eventually that in 1850 (Wordsworth's death), she was considered a candidate for poet laureate. Browning's father kept her close, invalid, children could not date others, etc...she soon developed an addiction to morphine. Isn't it strange that certain things parents do (I feel that single parents may try to overcompensate) to help their children end up partially ruining them? In 1845, she met (by letter) Robert Browning. They eloped soon after, moved to Italy, and lived the ex patriot life; wild. They were in love until she died. During that time, she wrote some of the most famous love poetry.

Browning views human mind not as tabula rosa, but as palimpsest - paper written on, rewritten, etc. This concept compare human beings to more of a hide, not piece of paper.

Aurora Leigh: Her father is a man of property and money in England. His sister (aunt) is an important character: the defacto lady of the house. She has this status removed when father, as older man, marries. While in Italy, he sees a parade, and sees a young girl in a Catholic confirmation dress. He falls immediately in love with her and marries. They are in love, have a child, then she dies 4 years later. He is a man who is made uncommon, but never takes the next step towards becoming a free spirit, because his wife dies. He loves his daughter - teaches her knowledge of Greek and Latin, and a love of learning. She grows up feeling incomplete and out of touch with the rules of the "new order", and hungers for that "mother want" (deep unconditional love).

According to Laura, the three most important epic poems in brit lit are: Milton - Paradise Lost, Wordsworth - The Prelude, and Aurora Lee.