Monday 5 March 2007

Browning's Religious beliefs

Declared aethiest (and vegitarian) having read "Queen Mab" and dicsovered Shelley. Mother was Church of Scotland, hence Browning was brought up "Non-Conformist". Married in St. Marylebone church.

The themes within the body of his poetry at best obfuscate his beliefs, "hardly shall I tell my hopes and fears, belief and disbelieving" ('One Word More' from Men and Women). Rarely does he "speak in my true person". In "Development" from Asolando however, relating his first encounter with Homer's Illiad, it is suggested Browning's morality owes more to Homer and the classics than to the Bible, teaching "My aim should be to loathe, like Peleus’ son, A lie as Hell’s Gate, love my wedded wife, Like Hector, and so on with all the rest.". So was Browning neoplatonist perhaps ?

A poem entitled "Adam Lilith and Eve" might suggest a Jewish belief, few Christians would admit of a third person in the Garden of Eden, thats a Judaic tradition. "Cleon" concludes by saying of Christians "their doctine can be held by no sane man". Whilst perhaps Browning's most complete affirmation of belief is put into the mouth of "Rabbi Ben Ezra". So perhaps Jewish ?

The epilogue to Dramatis Pesonae, rarely for Browning written in the first person "Friends, I have seen through your eyes: now use mine! " , concludes "Become my universe that feels and knows." Echoed decades later by Carl Sagan in describing inteligent life as the universe trying to understand itself. So is this a Buddist tendancy ?

What were Brownings religious beliefs ?

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