The Life and Work of Elizabeth Barrette Browning: A Woman Cannot Do the Things She Ought

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“A woman cannot do the things she ought, which means whatever perfect thing she can, in life, in art, in science, but fears to let the perfect action take her part and rest there: she must prove what she can do before she does it.” –Quote from Elizabeth Barrette Browning Elizabeth’s life was not what one would consider easy. Elizabeth Barrette was only at the tender age of 10 when she was reading William Shakespeare; she was a self-taught student, and a brilliant one at that. She read the Old Testament in Hebrew, the histories of Rome, and England, also some of Pope's Homeric translations. Elizabeth thought “I am of natural ill health.” At the age of 13, even though the bad health did not show up till she was 15. She started to suffer from a mysterious illness, she felt as if there were a cord tied around her stomach. Now some believe she was saddling the horse and some incident happened causing Elizabeth to suffered a spine injury, and that was the reason for the subscribed opium. Others say that a blood vessel popped in her lungs leaving her with a cornice cough and lead her to also feel very weak, maybe that was the reason for the opium? Many say both happed so what if that’s the reason for the opium . The fact is; none will truly ever know. The injury’s itself was not documented, somehow, injury’s or not, she became addicted to opium “Opium – opium – opium-night after night! – and some evenings even opium won't do" Elizabeth confessions. With her farther losing his wealth that he made from Jamaican sugar plantations, and her mother wors... ... middle of paper ... ...onvulsive twitched of the muscles, in which the diaphragm is particularly concerned. “ Elizabeth was confused the pain did not come at night, it happened three times a day . The server pain did not allow her lie down on her right side if she did so then it would feel like her side is swollen, she could not sit upright without having support. With all of this happening Dr. Coker could still not be able to figure out what was wrong with her. Her health seemed to increase for the better after her son Robert Wiedemann Barrett Works Cited http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Did_elizabeth_barret_browning_have_children http://www.abc.net.au/rn/ockhamsrazor/stories/2006/1582151.htm http://lovepoems.yu-hu.com/e-browning/ http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/classic_literature/27981

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