Poems of Robert Browning. 1833 – 1865. (The People’s Library)

It was only after the death of his overshadowing wife, Elizabeth Barrett, that Robert Browning was recognized as a major figure in nineteenth-century English letters. Initially a writer of verse plays, dramatic monologues, and short lyric poems, Browning later expanded his palette to encompass longer forms. The historical epic The Ring and the Book is now generally considered his finest longer work.