Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Book Reviews
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue by Samuel Silas Curry Book Summary
Why were the poems of Robert Browning so long unread? Why was his real message or spirit understood by few forty years after he began to write?
The story is told that Douglas Jerrold, when recovering from a serious illness, opened a copy of “Sordello,” which was among some new books sent to him by a friend. Sentence after sentence brought no consecutive thought, and at last it dawned upon him that perhaps his sickness had wrecked his mental faculties, and he sank back on the sofa, overwhelmed with dismay. Just then his wife and sister entered and, thrusting the book into their hands, he eagerly demanded what they thought of it. He watched them intently, and when at last Mrs. Jerrold exclaimed, “I do not understand what this man means,” Jerrold uttered a cry of relief, “Thank God, I am not an idiot!” Browning, while protesting that he was not obscure, used to tell this story with great enjoyment.
What was the chief cause of the almost universal failure to understand Browning? Many reasons are assigned. His themes were such as had never before been found in poetry, his allusions and illustrations so unfamiliar as to presuppose wide knowledge on the part of the reader; he had a very concise and abrupt way of stating things.
Yet, after all, were these the chief causes? Was he not obscure because he had chosen a new or unusual dramatic form? Nearly every one of his poems is written in the form of a monologue, which, according to Professor Johnson, “may be termed a novelty of invention in Browning.” Hence, to the average man of a generation ago, Browning’s poems were written in almost a new language.
This secret of the difficulty of appreciating Browning is not even yet fully realized. There are many “Introductions” to his poems and some valuable works on his life, yet nowhere can we find an adequate discussion of his dramatic form, its nature, and the influence it has exerted upon modern poetry.
Let us endeavor to take the point of view of the average man who opened one of Browning’s volumes when first published; or let us imagine the feeling of an ordinary reader to-day on first chancing upon such a poem as “The Patriot.”
The average man beginning to read, “It was roses, roses,” fancies he is reading a mere story and waits for the unfolding of events, but very soon becomes confused. Where is he? Nothing happens. Somebody is talking, but about what?
One who looks for mere effects and not for causes, for facts and not for experiences, for a mere sequence of events, and not for the laying bare of the motives and struggles of the human heart, will be apt soon to throw the book down and turn to his daily paper to read the accounts of stocks, fires, or murders, disgusted with the very name of Browning, if not with poetry.
Book Name | Browning and the Dramatic Monologue |
Genre | Literary Criticism |
Author | Samuel Silas Curry |
Published | 17 March 2020, Tuesday |
Language | English |
E-Book Size | 862.82 KB |
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue (Samuel Silas Curry) Book Reviews 2024
We transfer money over €4 billion every month. We enable individual and business accounts to save 4 million Euros on bank transfer fees. Want to send free money abroad or transfer money abroad for free? Free international money transfer!
Did you know that you can earn 25 USD from our site just by registering? Get $25 for free by joining Payoneer!
Download Link | Book Format |
browning-and-the-dramatic-monologue-ebook.pdf | |
browning-and-the-dramatic-monologue-ebook.epub | EPUB |
browning-and-the-dramatic-monologue-ebook.kindle | KINDLE |
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue E-book (PDF, PUB, KINDLE) Download
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue ebook browning-and-the-dramatic-monologue (862.82 KB) download new links will be update!
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Similar Books
Book Name | Score | Reviews | Price |
How to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised | 3.5/5 | 98 | $12.99 |
The Three Theban Plays | 3/5 | 47 | $12.99 |
THE GIVER | 4/5 | 73 | Free |
Norse Mythology | 4/5 | 270 | Free |
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage | 4.5/5 | 201 | $9.99 |
Enhance sleep, vision, cognition, flexibility, energy, long-range health and more. Performance Lab CORE Formulas support all aspects of human performance, across all walks of life. Boosts work performance and productivity with nootropics for focus, multitasking under stress, creative problem-solving and more.
Book Name | Score | Reviews | Price |
How to Add Ten Years to your Life and to Double Its Satisfactions | 0/5 | 0 | Free |
How to Add Ten Years to your Life and to Double Its Satisfactions | 0/5 | 0 | $4.99 |
How to Add Ten Years to your Life and to Double Its Satisfactions | 0/5 | 0 | $3.99 |
How to Add Ten Years to your Life and to Double Its Satisfactions | 0/5 | 0 | $9.99 |
Works of Samuel Silas Curry | 0/5 | 0 | $2.99 |
Summary of Browning and the Dramatic Monologue by Samuel Silas Curry
The Browning and the Dramatic Monologue book written by Samuel Silas Curry was published on 17 March 2020, Tuesday in the Literary Criticism category. A total of 92 readers of the book gave the book 0 points out of 5.
Book Name | Author | Price |
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam | 1048-1122 Omar Khayyám | Free |
Following the Equator | Mark Twain | Free |
Oral Literature in Africa | Ruth Finnegan | Free |
Fishing with a Worm | Bliss Perry | Free |
How to Write a New York Times Bestseller in Ten Easy Steps | Jason Mulgrew | Free |
Coinbase is the world's most trusted place to buy and sell cryptocurrency. Open an account today, and if you buy or sell $100 or more of crypto, you'll receive $10 worth of free Bitcoin!
Book Name | Author | Price |
We Slaves of Suriname | Anton de Kom & David McKay | $18.99 |
Everything Is Wrong with Me | Jason Mulgrew | $6.99 |
The Call of the Tribe | Mario Vargas Llosa & John King | $14.99 |
Arsene Lupin The Collection | Maurice Leblanc & bookish | $0.99 |
El peligro de estar cuerda | Rosa Montero | $9.99 |
Jasper is the generative AI platform for business that helps your team create content tailored for your brand 10X faster, wherever you work online.
Please wait! Browning and the Dramatic Monologue book comments loading...
Samuel Silas Curry - Browning and the Dramatic Monologue Discussions & Comments
Have you read this book yet? What do you think about Browning and the Dramatic Monologue by Samuel Silas Curry book? Ask the bookpedia.co community a question about Browning and the Dramatic Monologue!