March 6th is the birthday of British woman poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Elizabeth Barrett published her first verse at 14. As a spirited 15-year-old who loved the outdoors she injured her spine while horse-back riding. Her health after the accident became progressively worse, and at the same time she lost her mother to a long illness, her beloved brother Bro in a sailing accident, and another brother to a tropical fever.
Even though an invalid, she remained curious about the world and responsive to its changes. She read and wrote steadily. By the early 1840's she was an estab-lished poet.
Enfeebled by sickness, Elizabeth Barrett lived confined to her bedroom. It was there, in 1845, that Robert Browning introduced himself. He courted the invalid for more than a year, overcoming both her father's disapproval and Elizabeth's continu-ing hesitations. They were secretly married in 1846.
The sonnets Elizabeth had composed during their courtship she gave to her husband in 1849. He recognized immediately their universal richness and scope.
The Sonnets from the Portuguese are recognized as Mrs. Browning's greatest contribution to literature.