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Happy are all free peoples, too strong to be dispossessed. But blessed are those among nations who dare to be strong for the rest!
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Age
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A woman's always younger than a man of equal years.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
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Art
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What is art but life upon the larger scale, the higher. When, graduating up in a spiral line of still expanding and ascending gyres, it pushes toward the intense significance of all things, hungry for the infinite?
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Beauty
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The beautiful seems right by force of beauty, and the feeble wrong because of weakness.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Bravery
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The world's male chivalry has perished out, but women are knights-errant to the last; and, if Cervantes had been greater still, he had made his Don a Donna.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Children
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But the child's sob curses deeper in the silence than the strong man in his wrath!
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Death
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For 'Tis not in mere death that men die most.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Evil
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The devil's most devilish when respectable.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Experience
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Experience, like a pale musician, holds a dulcimer of patience in his hand.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Faith
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If you desire faith, then you have faith enough.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Genius
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What is genius but the power of expressing a new individuality?
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Since when was genius found respectable?
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Goodness
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We all have known good critics, who have stamped out poet's hopes; Good statesmen, who pulled ruin on the state; Good patriots, who, for a theory, risked a cause; Good kings, who disemboweled for a tax; Good Popes, who brought all good to jeopardy; Good Christians, who sat still in easy-chairs; And damned the general world for standing up. Now, may the good God pardon all good men!
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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What monster have we here? A great Deed at this hour of day? A great just deed -- and not for pay? Absurd -- or insincere?
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Gratitude
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This race is never grateful: from the first, One fills their cup at supper with pure wine, Which back they give at cross-time on a sponge, In bitter vinegar.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Grief, Grieving
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I tell you, hopeless grief is passionless.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Happiness
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The Greeks said grandly in their tragic phrase, Let no one be called happy till his death; to which I would add, Let no one, till his death be called unhappy.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Hospitals
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I think it frets the saints in heaven to see
How many desolate creatures on the earth
Have learnt the simple dues of fellowship
And social comfort, in a hospital.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Love
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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.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need; by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath.
Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Elizabeth wrote this poem to Robert; Robert
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Who so loves believes the impossible.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Men
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The man, most man,
Works best for men, and, if most men indeed,
He gets his manhood plainest from his soul:
While, obviously, this stringent soul itself
Obeys our old rules of development;
The Spirit ever witnessing in ours,
And Love, the soul of soul, within the soul,
Evolving it sublimely.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Mother
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Women know the way to rear up children (to be just). They know a simple, merry, tender knack of tying sashes, fitting baby-shoes, and stringing pretty words that make no sense. And kissing full sense into empty words.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Women known
The way to rear up children (to be just)
They know a simple, merry, tender knack
Of tying sashes, fitting baby-shoes
And stringing pretty words that make no sense.
And kissing full sense into empty words.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
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Neighbors
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A good neighbor sometimes cuts your morning up to mince-meat of the very smallest talk, then helps to sugar her bohea at night with your reputation.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Obedience
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Hurt a fly! He would not for the world: he's pitiful to flies even. Sing, says he, and tease me still, if that's your way, poor insect.
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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Books by and about Elizabeth Barrett Browning