ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING’S LIFE AS

REFLECTED BY HER SELECTED POEMS

THESIS

Submitted to the Board of Examiner

In Partial Fulfillment requirement
for Literary Degree at English Literature Department

by
SITI HAMIDA
AI 150349

ADAB AND HUMANITIES FACULTY

THE STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
SULTHAN THAHA SAIFUDDIN JAMBI
2019
 MOTTO

Meaning: “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know

from Allah that which you do not know.” (Qs. Yusuf: 86)1

Artinya: “Hanya kepada Allah aku mengadukan kesusahan dan kesedihanku. Dan
aku mengetahui dari Allah apa yang tidak kamu ketahui.” (Qs. Yusuf:
86)2

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, (1934) “The Meaning of Glorious Qur’an Text Translation and
1

Commentary”, p. 245
2
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, p. 245
 DEDICATION

In the name of Allah SWT most gracious merciful and the prophet Muhammad
SAW, the inspiration of Muslim’s life.

I would like to dedicate this thesis to:

My beloved father (Kholis), thank you for your sacrifice, love, support, care and
pray. Without your pray, I cannot finish my study.

My beloved mother (Darmiana), thank you for your patient to educate me so far,
for your sacrifice, your love, support, pray and all of that you are given to me.

For my sisters, Reni Asnita and Liana Astri. My brother, Irawanto. And for my
niece, Naifa Zahrani. Thanks for all the affections, attentions, happiness, and
laugh which colored my day.

I do love you all!

Then, to Mr. Firdiansyah, MA and Mr. H. Mislan, M.Pd as my supervisions, thank

you for your patient as long as you guided me to finish my thesis, for your helping
and supporting.

My beloved friends, Siti Aisyah, Sri devi Arisandi, Rini Rahayu, Ana Sholawati,
Rika Agustina, Dian Ratna Ningsih, Andi Astri Wardhana, Miftahul Jannah,
Ulmala sari, Afrasin Maisah Rahman, Randi Mirza, and Zamril. Thank you for
your inspirations, all of you are good people, I am so happy to living around wise
people as you all.

My dearest classmate, BSI A and B, for your kindness, love, support, and
everything.

The last for all people who have helped me in writing this thesis, I would like to
say thank you so much. I love you all as always.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘aalamiin.

All praises be to Allah SWT, the most beneficent and the most merciful
that shows me the right path; Islam and let me flow easily in accomplishing the
thesis entitled “ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING’S LIFE AS
REFLECTED BY HER SELECTED POEMS”, which is submitted to fulfill
the requirements for bachelor degree (S1) in English Literature, Adab and
Humanities, Islamic State University, Sultan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi. Sholawat
and salam be upon prophet Muhammad SAW who has brought us from the
darkness to the lightness.

Then, I would like to thank those who have assisted me in writing this
thesis. My sincere gratitude goes to:

1. The Rector of Islamic State University, Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi, Dr. H.
Hadri Hasan, MA. The Vise of Rector, Dr. H. Suaidi, MA, Ph.D., Dr. H.
Hidayat, M.Pd., and Dr. H. Fadilla, M.Pd., who allowed me to study in the
university.
2. The Dean of Adab and Humanities Faculty, Prof. Dr. Maisah, M.Pd.I. The
Vise of dean, Dr. Alfian, M.Ed., Dr. H.M. Fadhil, M.Ag., and Dr. Raudhoh,
M.Pd.I.
3. The Head of English Literature Department, Ulfatmi Azlan, S.S., M.A and the
secretary Dian Muhlisa, MA who have given the great supervised.
4. My great supervisors, Firdiansyah, MA and H.Mislan, M.Pd who have
continuously guided me throughout the process of accomplishing this thesis.
5. All of my lectures who have given me knowledge and experiences during
meeting in the class till now.
6. All of officials in Adab and Humanities Faculty who have managed my
administrations and requirements as long as my study till graduation.
 ABSTRACT

Hamida, Siti. 2019 “Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Life As reflected By Her

Selected Poems”. English Literature Department, Adab Faculty,
The State of Islamic University Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi.
Supervisor I : H. Mislan, M.Pd
Supervisor II : Firdiansyah, M.A

This study aims at finding the reflection of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s

life as seen in her selected poems. Moreover, this study designs to find out the
meaning of Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems and the reflection of Elizabeth
Barrett Browning’s life is her poems. This study is qualitative descriptive since
the data are collected, analyzed, and described in the form of words rather than
numerical scores or statistics. The study is descriptive because it tries to describe
the reflection of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life. The data of the research are
sentences in every stanza of the poems. This study has one primary data source
which is the six selected poems and taken from the Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
biography.
Meanwhile, six selected poems reflect Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life.
In the first poem “How Do I Love Thee (1850),” this poem tells about her life
when she felt happy after marry with someone who she loves. The second poem
“A Thought For A Lonely Death-Bed (1845),” this poem tells about her feeling of
scared when she has to face the death alone. The third poem “A Curse For A
Nation (1860),” this poem tells about her sympathy with the Italian cause after the
outbreak of fighting. The fourth poem “The Cry Of The Children (1842),” this
poem tells about child labor, she want to abolish slavery and child labor in
England. The fifth poem “Exaggeration (1845),” This poem tells about her life
when she wants to give spirits for her sisters and for her brothers. And the last
poem “Irreparableness (1845),” this poem describes about her expression of
sadness.
The research result shows that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems are
varies, there are: happiness expression, sadness expression, and sympathy
expression. In happiness expression there is a poem entitled ‘How do I love thee’.
In sadness expression, there are poems entitled ‘A thought for a lonely death-bed,
Exaggeration, and Irreparableness”. In sympathy expression, there are poems
entitled ‘A curse for a nation and The cry of the children’.
 ABSTRAK
Hamida, Siti, 2019 “Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Life As reflected By Her
Selected Poems”. English Literature Department, Adab Faculty,
The State of Islamic University Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi.
Supervisor I : H. Mislan, M.Pd
Supervisor II : Firdiansyah, M.A
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan cerminan kehidupan Elizabeth
Barrett Browning dalam puisi-puisinya. Terlebih lagi, penelitian ini didesain
untuk menemukan makna didalam puisi-puisi Elizabeth Barrett Browning dan
cerminan kehidupan Elizabeth Barrett Browning dilihat dari puisi-puisinya.
Penelitian ini menggunakan deskriptif kualitatif karena data yang disimpulkan
dianalisis, dan dijelaskan dalam bentuk kata dan bukan angka atau statistik.
Penelitian ini deskriptif karena menjelaskan cerminan kehidupan Elizabeth Barrett
Browning. Data penelitian ini berupa kalimat-kalimat pada setiap bait dalam puisi.
Sumber dari data penelitian ini adalah enam puisi yang telah dipilih dan yang
diambil dari biograpi kehidupan Elizabeth.
Sementara itu, enam puisi yang dipilih mencerminkan kehidupan Elizabeth
Barrett Browning. puisi pertama, “How Do I Love Thee (1850),” puisi ini
menjelaskan tentang kehidupannya, ketika dia merasa bahagia setelah menikah
dengan seseorang yang dia cintai. Puisi kedua, “A Thought For A Lonely Death-
Bed (1845),” puisi ini menjelaskan tentang perasaan takutnya ketika dia harus
menghadapi kematian sendiri. Puisi ketiga, “A Curse For A Nation (1860),” puisi
ini menjelaskan tentang simpatinya kepada Italia karena setelah pecahnya
pertempuran. Puisi keempat, “The Cry Of The Children (1842),” puisi ini
mencertikan tentang kerja paksa anak, dia ingin menghapus perbukan dan kerja
paksa anak di Inggris. Puisi kelima, “Exaggeration (1845),” puisi ini menceritakan
tentang kehidupannya, ketika dia ingin memberikan semangan kepada saudara-
saudaranya. Puisi terakhir, “Irreparableness (1845),”puisi ini mencerikan tentang
perasaan sedihnya.
Hasil dari penelitian menunjukkan bahwa puisi Elizabeth Barrett
Browning ini bervariasi, ada ekspresi kebahagiaa, ekspresi kesedihan dan ekspresi
simpati. Di ekspresi kebahagiaan ada sebuah puisi yang berjudul ‘How do I love
thee’. Di ekspressi kesedihan ada beberapa puisi yang berjudul ‘A thought for a
lonely death-bed, Exaggeration, and Irreparableness’. Di ekspressi simpati ada
beberapa puisi yang berjudul ‘A curse for a nation and The cry of children’.
 TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE OF TITLE………....................................................................................... i
APPROVAL………………………………………………………………..…… ii
LETTER OF RATIFICATION……………………………………………….. iii
ORIGINAL THESIS STATEMENT…………………………………………. iv
MOTTO…………………………………………………………………………. v
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………..……vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………...……... vii
ABSTRACT.………………………………………………………...………….. ix
ABSTRAK………………………………………………………..……………... x
TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………...………………... xii

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Problem………………………………………...….1
1.2 Formulation of the Problem…………………………………………...5
1.3 Limitation of the Problem……………………………………………..5
1.4 Purpose of the Research……………………………………………….5
1.5 Significance of the Research…………………………………………..6
CHAPTER II : THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Biographical Approach………………………………………………. 7
2.2 Expressive Theory………………………………………………...… 10
2.3 Semiotic Study……………………………………………………… 11
2.4 Poem ……….…………………………………………………...…... 13
2.5 Meaning……………………………………………………...……… 15
2.6 Review of Related Research………………………………………... 17
CHAPTER III : RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Design of the Research…………………………………………...…. 20
3.2 Source of Data Collection…………………………………………... 21
3.3 Technique of Data Collection………………………………………..22
3.4 Technique of Data Analysis………………………………………… 23
CHAPTER IV : FINDING AND ANALYSIS
4.1 The meaning in Elizabeth Barrett Browning selected poems……….26
a. How do I love thee………………………………………………...26
b. A thought for a lonely death-bed……………………………….....27
c. Exaggeration………………………………………………………27
d. Irreparableness…………………………………………………….28
e. A curse for a nation……………………………………………..…28
f. The cry of the children……………………………………………..29
4.2 Elizabeth Browning selected Poem Reflect Her Real Life…………..30
A. Reflection of Happiness.………..…………….…………………..30
How Do I Love Thee…………………………………………….. 30
B. Reflection of Sadness.………………………………….…………33
a. A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed………………………....... 33
b. Exaggeration………………………………………….……….. 34
c. Irreparableness………………………………………………….35
C. Reflection of Sympathy………………………………………...... 36
a. A Curse for A Nation……………………………………...…... 36
b. The Cry of The Children……………………………...…...…... 38
CHAPTER V : CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions...……………………………………………………….. 40
5.2 Suggestions ..……………………………………………………….. 41
REFERENCES
APPENDIXES
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Problems

Human life is inseparable from the existence of literary work.
Human is not only given a mind by God but also completed with feeling.
Literary means of information in the form of a sign to receive, to save, to
transfer. Literary is a sign that contain text.3 Human can feel what happen on
their own life or environment. On the other hand, they can also fell happy,
sad and other concerning with their emotion such as feeling that they have
not only kept in both in their mind or heart, but certainly they are able to
express as an idea or overflow emotion though literary work. It means that
by literary, people can express what they seen in life. What they have
experience of it and what they have though and felt. They transform those
aspects in various from of literary work. Generally in the literary, there are
four main steps of interpretation. Like these to determine directly the
primary meaning, explain the meaning implicit, determine the theme,
explaining the meaning of the text.4 According to Ahmad Bahrun, “Sastra
adalah kegiatan seni yang menggunakan bahasa dan garis-garis symbol
lain sebagai alat dan bersifat imajinatif.5
From explanation above, the writer can take assumption that literary
work is all about language. Language is a thing to make communication
with the other, and also language is imaginative symbols. A person can
describe life as outlined by the media of language, writing or other objects.
Literary work is also part of the culture in a society that has a value system
which is considered as a valid rule.

3
Suwardi Endraswara. (2011). Metedologi Penelitian Sastra. (Yogyakarta: FBS Universitas
Negeri Yogyakarta, CAPS). p.65.
4
Ibid, p.45.
5
http://www.scribd.com/doc/31552799/Pengertian-Sastra-Menurut-Para-Ahli (retired on
friday at November 16, 2018 at 04. 13 pm).
 Literary work is one of human creativities. It is divided into three
parts, which are called genres i.e. poetry, prose and drama. They have
certain characteristic and terms. Since this thesis deals with poetry, it is
worthwhile to define what poetry is. In the encyclopedia Americana,
etymologically the word “poetry” was divided from Greek word “poiein”
which mean to make or to construct.6 Poet result is from creativity processes
operating under the impulse of feeling and embodying the combination of
product of the poet’s perceptions thought and feeling.
Poem is the tool to express the human feeling and sense that used
selected language as a media to explore and filed up with figurative
language and another element to beautify the tone, rhyme, and another
aspect which make the poem more interest. Poem deals with the deepest
emotions, it seeks to capture in a few linguistics sign the realities of life.
Poem can be analyzed from many aspects like structure and its elements,
styles, and point of view of the story. Poem appears and created by poet
illustrates the human life which is explored by using some figures of speech.
Poem is arranged by a good and a bright thinking. Pradopo said
“puisi itu mengekspresikan pemikiran yang membangkitkan perasaan yang
merangsang imajinasi panca indra dalam susunan yang berirama”.7 So that
poem is an experience that is explored in the beautiful words with many
poetic elements like figurative language or another speech act like rhyme,
tone, thyme, symbol, etc.
Poem has many meanings in a word, as Waluyo said “puisi adalah
karya sastra. Semua karya sastra bersifat imajjinatif. Bahasa sastra bersifat
konotatif karena banyak digunakan makna kias dan makna lambang”8. The
poem is literary work. All the characteristics of literary work are
imaginative. The literary language characteristic is connotative because it
uses many figurative language and sign.

6
Encyclopedia Americana. (1945). International Edition (Glorier Imorporated). p.277
7
Rachmat Djoko Pradopo. (2005). Pengkajian Puisi. (Yogyakarta: Gajah Mada University).
p.7
8
Herman J. Waluyo. (1991). Teori Dan Apresiasi Puisi. (Jakarta: Penerbit Erlangga). p. 22
 This research is chosen because the writer is interested in studying
poem. Reading poems carefully automatically develops our knowledge and
it makes possible to arrange the works that are chosen by the author. Beside
that the writer can also get the authors feeling or experiences from the
poems, the writer wants to know what the reason of the author to wrote that
poems.
Mrs. Browning was born in London, England, in 1809, and she died
at Casa Guidi, Flo rence, June 29, 1861. In 1844 she came forth from her
seclusion in two volumes of “Poems by Elizabeth Browning”. The
melancholy though showed traces of the sadness of much of her former life.
Some of her poems are especially admirer. “Cowper’s Grave”, “The Cry of
the Children”, “ A Child Asleep”, and “He Giveth His Beloved Sleep”.
The writer is interested in choosing Elizabeth Barrett Browning as
the topic, because as we know Elizabeth Barrett Browning has produced
many poems and she was famous poem of 18th century, as well as one of the
most popular poems. Elizabeth Barrett Browning begin write the poem from
six years old and naturally it is based on his life experience. Because of that
the writer is interested to choosing the Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems as
the topic of research. The writer picks out some examples from the author,
such as in poem entitled: “A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed”.
Quotes:

To die alone, with none beside thy bed

To ruffle round with sobs thy last word said
And mark with tears, the pulses ebb from thee
Pray then alone, ‘O Christ, come tenderly !

This poem is a sadness expression, Elizabeth Barrett Browning

describes about her life when she felt lonely overflowing sadness and scares
when she has to face the death alone. No one beside who hold her hand cry
of lost and she is in her own, no family, no friend, no beloved, no someone
special, and not even an angel who want to accompany her in final sleep.
She felt scared when she has to face the death alone. No one accompanies
her, she was really sad because of her destiny. She only pray alone before to
face her death ‘O Christ, come tenderly!’.
The writer chooses the poem in this research, because as we know
literary work is generally fictional, such as a poem. But there are some
poems that related to the real life of the author or related to the past of the
author. As found in Elizabeth’s poems, some of her poems are based on her
real life. Poem is literary works that describe the behavior of life based on
feeling and experience of life and poems have beautiful high value in the
form or in the meaning. There are many famous authors from England one
of them is Elizabeth Barrett Browning, She makes a lot of poems in her lifes,
she has 236 poems such as about happiness poem, sadness poem, and life
experience’s poem. She is also known as Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She
was born on March 06, 1806 at Coxhoe Hall Durham and dead on June 29,
1861. Her childhood was passed in Hisefordshire, after years spent his time
in her father’s house at Wimpole Street, Elizabeth married Robert Browning
secretly to avoid her father’s anger. Elizabeth devoted love and her happy
marriage at poem and known to the world.
One of her famous poem is “Sonnets from Portuguese and Aurora
Leight” and many others poems. Elizabeth Browning also create many
sadness poem in her literary work such as Tears by Elizabeth Barrett
Browning poem, A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed by Elizabeth Barrett
Browning poem, The Cry of The Children by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
poem, The Cry of The Human by Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem, A
Dead Rose by Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem, and so on. It’s shown that
life is not only about happiness but sadness also give big influences in life.
Elizabeth was famous at the time, some of her poems create based on
her own fear as the writer know in Elizabeth biography, she have
complication illness and her life is not simples full of worry, prejudice, and
complicated. Her poems greatly influenced Emily Dickinson and Edgar
Allan Poe, who admired her as a woman of achievement. Her popularity in
the United States and Britain was further advanced by her stands against
 social injustice, including slavery in the United States, injustice toward
Italian citizens by foreign rules, and child labor.
Based on the background that was deciphered, the writer interested
to know what is the reflection of Elizabeth Browning’s life as seen in her
poems. So, the title in this thesis is “Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Life As
Reflected by Her Selected Poems”.

1.2 Formulation of the Problems

The focus of this study, the researcher limits and focuses of this
study by formulating the research questions as follow:
1. What are the meanings in Elizabeth Barrett Browning selected poems?
2. How do Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s selected poems reflect her life?

1.3 Limitation of the Problems

Based on the problems above, in this research the writer limit and
focus to analyze six poems by Elizabeth Browning, such as : “A thought for
A Lonely Death-bed” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Exaggeration”
poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How Do I Love Thee” poem by
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Irreparableness” poem by Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, The Cry of The Children” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
“A Curse for A Nation” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. These poems
are taken in “Elizabeth Barrett Browning Poems” book publisher:
Poemhunter.com – The World’s Poetry Archive. The writer will found the
reflection of the author’s life in her selected poems.

1.4 Purpose of the Research

Based on the problems statement is mentioned above, the purposes
of this research is:
1. The writer wants to know the meaning Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
selected poems
 2. The writer wants to know and want to find out of Elizabeth Barrett
Browning’s selected poems that reflect her life.

1.5 Significance of the Research

In this research, the writer analyzed poems of England’s author,
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The writer would like to find out the Reflection
of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life as seen in six selected poems. The
writer hopes this research develops the writing ability and give additional
information and knowledge about Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems to
the writer and also to the reader, especially to the students in English
Literature Department. And finally, the writer hopes this research be useful
to the next researcher and can take the positive side of this poem. Moreover,
the writer hopes this research make other people easier to identify the
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems and takes the positive side from it.
Furthermore, this study gives some information concerning the poem
through implicit meaning.
 CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In this chapter, the writer conducts library research that gives theory of
research questions from some related literatures as references for this thesis. The
writer also make note some quotations from the experts to support the theory used
in this thesis. In addition, the writer presents theoretical background that becomes
the base of this thesis.

2.1 Biographical Approach

There are many ideas about biographical approach. To support this
research, the writer use biographical approach. Wellek and Warren said
biographical approach is one of old approach, biographical approach is
sistematic study about the creative9. It means that biographical approach is
one of old approach and a creative activity of human being, from their
imagination, develop and through to become an art. According to Guerin : “
Biographical approach is literary work chiefly, if not exclusively as reflect
of the author’s life and time or the life and tome of charachters in a work”10.
It means that biographical approach is anlayzing of the literary work
based on the background of the author’s biography that can be seen in life,
and also social culture environment of the author’s in a literary work. Social
culture of way of life of certain time periode gives the reader a greater
knowledge based on which to draw conclusion and bettr to understand the
story. Discovering details about author’s life and time also provide similar
ways to further develop idea about the story, so biographical approach
explains about the author’s, his creative, his carrier, his activity, and his
personal life11. Nyoman Khuta Ratna explain :

9
Wellek and Warren in Nyoman Khuta Ratna. Teori, Metode Dan Teknik Penelitian Satra,
p.56
10
Wilfred L. Guerin. (2005). A handbook of Critical Approach of Literature,( New York :
Oxford University Press), p.51
11
Jako sumardjo&saini K.M. (1986). Apresiasikesusateraan,(Jakarta :Gramedia),p.22
 “biografi yang semata-mata menganalisis riwayat hidup, dengan
proses pemahaman mulai dari individu kemasyarakatan, namun
biografi juga menilai sejauh memberi masukan tentang penciptaan
karya sastra dan biografi juga dapat dianggap sebagai studi yang
sistematis tentang psikologi pengarang dan proses kreatif”.12

Based on those statements, it can be concluded that biographical

approach is study about a creative activity of human being, from their
imagination. It means that biographical approach is a studied about the
author’s life of literary work, and also biography can be considered as
systematic study about psychology and creativity process of the author’s
life. The most obvious cause of a work of art is creator, the author and
chance an explanation in terms of the personality and the life of the writer
has been one of the oldest and the best established methods of literary study.
This approach uses to find the fact that are related to analyze the
biographical approach of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life.
Biographical approach, the critics that are interested in using
biographical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in
reference to the civilization that produced it. It is necessary that the critic
investigates the social setting in which the work was created and which it
necessarily reflects. The traditional biographical approaches to literary
usually take as it’s basis some aspect of the socio cultural frame of
reference, combining it with an interest in the biographical as well as
knowledge of and interest in literary history. The critics must not only
examine the work itself but also the work in relation to others by the same
author or two works of similar kinds of subject matter by the different
authors in the same period-all areas of knowledge that might enrich the
reading experience. There are two factors; first, accuracy in the presentation
of historical facts is of value to the historian, but not necessarily to the
author. Second, a work of literary might have historical significance, but not
necessarily literary significance.

12
Nyoman Khuta Ratna. Teori Metode Dan Teknik Penelitian Sastra, p.59
 Biographical approach is one of the most basic approach used in
analyze of poetry is referred to as the historical method of literary critics. It
means that the critic interprets the poem within the history, or contemporary
frame of reference, behind the poem. The biographical approach insists that
a poems meaning can only be understood within a historical setting. That is,
those who use this approach do not allow for possibility of making a
completely interpretative reading a poem.13
Biographical approach in order to understand to literary object, one
most appreciates the ideas and personality of the author, the followers of this
approach attempt to learn as much as they can about the life and
development of the author and to apply this knowledge in their attempt to
understand his writings. The biographical material provides useful facts that
could put the reader in better position to understand and appreciate the
literary object.
The biographical approach as the method of analyzed the poem by
examining the poem in relation to what is known about the poet’s life. If we
want to use this approach we have to know the poet’s life or the poet’s
biography. There are advantages in using the biography approach of the
author in the analysis, namely to illuminated the element within a work,
words, allusions to particular place and historical event, conflict, theme,
characters, and setting. Furthermore, biography gives ease to see the
expression of author’s deep concern and conflict. Therefore, Elizabeth’s
personal life, her time and works are taken into consideration.

13
Indiani, Eka Permatasari. (2016). An Analysis of Feminism Maya Angelou’s Poems By
Using Historical and Biographical Approaches, Vol. 3 Nomor 2. P.158
2.2 Expressive Theory
In this research, the writer analyzes about the reflection of the author’s
life as seen her selected poems. Expressive theory is meaning of something
that relates to research. Because of that, the writer chooses the expressive
theory for this research after that the writer analyzed it to find the answer of
the research.
Longinus stated that Untuk menciptakan karya agung yang terpenting
adalah unsur kreatif penulis; passion and emotion.14 From that statement it
can be concluded to get good literary work is depend on the writer itself, the
important thing is the element of creativity of the writer such as her passion
and her emotion.
Andrew stated that the idea of the author is not a timeless given: the
figure and significance of the author varies across time and from one culture
to another, from one discourse to another and so on.15 It means that
expressive theory is analyzing about activity creative of human being, from
their imagination, develop and through to become an art.
Expressive theory treats a literary work primarily in relation to the
author. It defines literary work as an expression, overflow, utterance, or
projection of the though and feeling, or as the products of human feelings.16
Here, the writer decided to use expressive theory because it is suitable with
the research that will be analyzed about the author’s life with the poem
itself. According to Abrams In Partini Sardjono Pradotokusumo’s book:
“pendekatan kritis yang terkandung yang utama terhadap karya
sastra yaitu : 1). Pendekatan yang menitikberatkan pada karrya itu
sendiri (pendekatan objektif. 2). Pendekatan yang menitikberatkan
pada penulis (pendekatan ekspresif). 3). Pendekatan yang
menitikberatkan pada semesta (pendekatan mimetic)”17.

14
Longinus in Partini Sardjono Pradotokusumo. (2005). Pengkajian Sastra. (Jakarta:
Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama). 72.
15
Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle. (2004). An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and
Theory. (Great Britain). Third Edition, 22.
16
M.H.Abrams. (1999). Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition, (London, New York:
Oxford University).p.22
17
Pradopokusumo Partini Sardjono. (2005). Pengkajian Sastra”, (Jakarta: Gramedia). p.63
 Based on means that expressive theory is theory that focus on the
writer or the author itself and usually the story tells about the author life that
has happened in the past event and the author through their life to the literary
work such as the selected poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that will be
analyzed, because some of the poems by Elizabeth is reflect of the her life.
According to Gerry Mackie said:
“Expressive theory studies the psychological aspects of the writer
during the creative process is projected through the works of creation,
both of in the relation to the writer as a person and the writer as a
representative of the community to choice in many circumstances of
life”18.

From explanation above, expression theory treats literary work

primarily in relation to the author. It defines poem as an expressive, or
overflow, or utterance of feeling. As a type, as well as those associated with
the creative process by which this occurred.
Here, the writer analyze about the reflection of Elizabeth Barrett
Browning’s life as seen in her selected poems. Where expressive theory
focuses on the writer or the author itself usually the story tells about the
author’s life that has happened in the past event and the author through her
life to the literary work such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems. This
theory is very suitable with this research because this research tells about the
reflection of the author’s life and one of the experiences of the author.

2.3 Semiotic Study

In analyzing this research, the writer uses Semiotics Theory because it
relates to the problem that will be analyzed.
The word Semiotic is derived from the Greek, seme, as in semeotikos,
an interpretation of sign, semiotic is the study of sign and symbol and their
meaning and the used, especially in writing, or method to analyze the sign.
Barthes said, semiotic basically wants to discuss how human signifies its

18
Gerry Mackie (2007). On The Expressive Theory Of Voting, (University Of California,
Sandiego). P.2.
 thing. Cobley and Jansz also said “…discipline is simply the analysis of
signs or the study of the functioning of sign systems.”19 It means that,
semiotic focus on sign or study about functional of sign systems.
According to Riffaterre, Semiotika adalah metode pemaknaan yang
khusus, yaitu dengan memberi makna karya sastra sebagai sistem tanda-
tanda itu, istilahnya memproduksi makna tanda-tanda.20 It’s means that,
semiotic can give the meaning of poetry by the signs. There are three
Semiotic of Riffaterre in meaning of poem, they are:
a. Displacing of meaning, Displacing occurs when the sign shift from one
meaning to the other meaning, and also when a word represents to the
other word as it happen in figurative language.
b. Distorting of meaning, Distorting of meaning occur when there is
ambiguity in poetry, contradiction, or non-sense.
c. Creating of meaning, creating of meaning is caused by rhyme,
enjambemen (if the sentences is not complete means enjambemen) ,
homolog, and typography.
Semiotic of Riffaterre learn about how semiotic can give the meaning
of literary work, especially a poem. By some of steps: displacing meaning,
distorting meaning, and creating meaning.
Semiotic of Roland Barthes learns how humanity defines things.
Meaning in this case cannot be stirred by communication. Meaning means
that objects not only carry information, in which case the object are to be
communicated, but also constitutes a structured system of signs. One of the
important areas that Barthes encroached on his study of signs is the role of
the reader. In his mythological book, he expressly denotes denotative: 1)
signifier, 2) signified, 3) denotative sign, 4) connotative sign, 5) connotative
signified, 6) connotative sign. This opinion asserts that the literature has a

19
Alex Sobur. (2003). Semiotika Komunikasi. (Bandung: Remaja Rosda Karya). P.15-16
20
Michael Riffaterre. (2016). Teori Dan Aplikasi Semiotika Michael Riffaterre.
(Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar). P.5
 layer of meaning21. It means that, semiotic of the study of sign, sign
function, and the production of meaning.
“Semiotics is the study of how people make meaning through both
linguistic and non-linguistic ways. It is a philosophical theory
concerned with understanding how people use signs and symbols
meaning-making. Sign systems include words, images, number and
objects. These signs have meaning only because people have agreed
upon and use this shared meaning”22.

It means that, the sign is very important in life, before the reader
should know about the sign in novel, poems, lyrics, and so on. We must
understand first, what the meaning of that symbol. Symbol is about Words,
Body Language. Example, the word “house” refers to a structure designed
for people to live within only because a culture uses it in this way. How this
meaning of “house” came to be is what those who study and research
semiotics are interested in.
Based on the explanation above, there are many explanation of
Semiotic, here the writer only focus of semiotic Riffaterre, because the
writer thinks, semiotic Riffaterre is very suitable with the problem of
research. The meaning of semiotic is about the reader and the text. It means
that, the reader freely to interpret the literary works, especially a poem,
without a feeling bound by the author’s. The reader is really influences in
this theory.

2.4 Poem
Poem is one of literary work that expresses the ideas or the emotions in
a powerfully vivid imaginative style. A poem is comprised of a particular
rhythmic and metrical pattern. In fact, it is a literary technique that is
different from prose or ordinary speech.

21
Roland Barthes, P.39
22
http://www.Learning-theories.com (retired on saturday at November 17, 2018 at 04. 15
pm).
 According to Riffaterre in Pradopo, “poem is indirect expression,
meaning that is describe something by using connotative meaning. Then
indirect expression caused by displacing of meaning, distorting of meaning
and creative of meaning.”23 Frost in Arp Thomas’s book stated that, “Poem
is provides the one permissible way of saying one thing and meaning
another”.24
From explanation above, the writer can take assumption that, the poem
is not only a tool to express the human’s ideas. But also often teaches the
readers a moral lesson, share something that have experienced, and give
pleasure to the readers. Indirectly, poem is enable the readers to look ‘into
the life of things’, while science sharpens our intellect, poem enriches our
moral insight.
There are some kinds of poem, those are:
a. Descriptive
Descriptive poem is the poem which describes people or
experiences, scenes, or objects.
b. Reflective
Thoughtful poems often containing a great deal of description
which the poet comments or from which he draws conclusion are
directly stated; at other times implied.
c. Narrative
Narrative is a telling of a story or a description of an event.
d. The lyric
The lyric is usually a short poems like a song which is usually the
expression of a mood or feeling.
e. The sonnet
The sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines which follows a very strict
rhyme pattern. It is usually divided into two parts: the ‘octave’ (the first
eight lines), and ‘sestet’ (the last six lines).
23
Pradopo. (2007). Pengajian Puisi. (Yogyakarta: University Press). P.77.
24
Thomas. (2012). Perrine’s Sound and Sense: an Introduction to Poetry. (Boson: Printed
in the United State of America).P.72.
2.5 Meaning
The word ‘meaning’ and it’s corresponding verb ‘to mean’ are among
the most eminently discussable in the English Language. Some people
would like semantic to pursue the study of meaning in a wide sense of all
that is communicated by language.
According to Kreidler: “The dimension of meaning included reference
and denotative, connotative, sense relations, lexical and grammatical
meaning, morphemes, homonymy, polysemy, lexical ambiguity, sentence
and meaning”.25 different from Kreidler, Abdul Chaer explained that kind of
meaning included a lexical, grammatical and contextual meaning, denotative
and connotative meaning, conceptual and associative meaning.26
From all of type meaning, in this research, the writer only focus on the
theory of meaning that related with this research such as lexical and
contextual meaning.
1. Lexical Meaning
The meaning of word or lexical meaning is a part of linguistic
knowledge and is therefore a part of the grammar. The term lexical
meaning, which is used in semantics, is interpreted as the meaning of the
lexeme whether it is word lexeme of phrasal lexeme.
Lexical meaning is the smallest meaning unit in the meaning system
of language that could be distinguished from other similar units. Lexical
meaning refers to the real meaning, meaning that proper with our sense
of observation, or granted meaning.27 it has been known that language
has an amount of lexical system by which the semantic with structure
could be based the meaning on paradigmatic and systematic. Many
people said that lexical meaning is the meaning in the dictionary or that
of the lexeme meaning event without any context. Lexical meaning is
usually considered as being the meaning of word.

25
Kreidler. (1998). Introducing English Semantics, (London and New York: Routledge
Publishing). P.41
26
Abdul Chaer. (2007). Linguistik Umum. (PT. Rineka Cipta). P.289.
27
Abdul Chaer, p.289
 Lyons assumed that lexical meaning is a meaning describe in the
lexicon or dictionary. In addition, he also said that lexical meaning are
the meaning of a word or sentence which upon the meaning of it’s
constituent lexemes.28 It can be concluded that the lexical meaning refers
to the sense or meaning of a word that appears the real meaning without
need any context to explain the meaning.
2. Contextual Meaning
Contextual meaning is the meaning of word based on the situation in
which they are used. According to Abdul Chaer, “Contextual meaning is
the meaning of a lexeme or word inside a context”.29 Contextual
meaning could be regarded in the situation, the time and the
environment. It means that, different situation will give different
meaning. contextual meaning is found outside the text, namely
immediate context. The approach used is that every text is an act of
communication, not text that appeared without any purpose and intent.
As an act of communication, text producers would wish to have meaning
that can be understood by the recipient (reader or listener). It may be said
that contextual meaning is the meaning that related the context of
something or depending on the circumstances that form the function of
word in sentence formation since different arrangement of the same
word con covey different context.

28
John, Lyons. (1984). Language and Linguistic. (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press). P.40
29
Abdul Chaer. Linguistik Umum. P.290
2.6 Review of Related Studies
The first, literary research is in Muhammad Sofian’s research, student
of English Literature Department of Adab Faculty, in Islamic University
Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi 2013. His thesis title is “The Senses
Through the Meaning of Life that Correlated with Khalil Gibran as Depicted
on Khalil Gibran’s selected Poetries”.30 He applied Biographical Approach
and the sense of life concept by to support his research. He uses qualitative
method, which also uses descriptive technique to describe and analyze the
data. As result, he found the answer from two problems as found in the
poetry of Khalil Gibran are 1) there are three sense of life in Khalil Gibran
selected poetry, they are happiness, sadness, and anger and fear. 2) Khalil
Gibran’s poetry have many correlation with his life such as his family,
friends, environment, government, and love.
The second, the literary research is in Fajar Aditya Yunarto’s research.
His titled is “The reflection of Sylvia Plath’s Suicidal Manner and Suicidal
Attempts in ‘Lady Lazarus’ as Seen Through the Imagery”.31 The objectives
of this study are : 1) to find out how the imagery in the poem is inferred. 2)
to reveal how the inference of the imagery reflects Sylvia Plath’s suicidal
manner and suicidal attempts. This study applies library research and uses
biographical approach, and applies three theories (theories on imagery,
theories on suicide, and the relationship between literature and biography).
In this research, he found that there are various kinds of images that are used
in the poem, the biography of Silvia Plath proves that Sylvia Plath also
suffered from similar severe stresses. Through the imagery the poem reflects
Sylvia Plath’s suicidal manner and suicidal attempts.

30
Muhammad Sofian. (2013). The Senses Through the Meaning of Life that Correlated with
Khalil Gibran as Depicted on Khalil Gibran’s selected Poetries. (Jambi: Universitas Islam
Negeri). P.1
31
Fajar Aditya Yunarto. (2006). The reflection of Sylvia Plath’s Suicidal Manner and
Suicidal Attempts in ‘Lady Lazarus’ as Seen Through the Imagery. (Yogyakarta: Sanata Darma
University). P.1
 The third, literary research is in Siti Mustofiah’s research, student of
English Literature Department of Adab Faculty, in Islamic University
Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi 2012. Her thesis title is “The Reflection of
Khaled Hosseini’s Life as Seen in His Novel, ‘The Kite Runner’” 32. She
uses Expressive Theory for analyzing about the author’s life, so she uses this
theory to make this thesis. And also she uses biographical approach that is
really suitable with her thesis. She has found the problems in this novel such
as: 1) what are the similarities of life between the author’s life, Khaled
Hosseini, and main characther’s life, Amir, that happen in his novel The
Kite Runner? 2) how is the life of the author influence to the novel The Kite
Runner.
The fifth, literary research is in Dwi Retno’s research, student of
English Literature Department of Adab Faculty, in Islamic University
Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi 2018. Her thesis titled is “The Analysis of
Symbolisms Found in Khalil Gibran’s Selected Poems”.33 The objectives of
this study are: 1) to know the classification of symbols by C.S. Peirce in the
Khalil Gibran’s Poems. 2) to describe the performance of semiotic
expression in Khalil Gibran’s Poems. 3) to know meaning of symbols used
in Khalil Gibran’s poems. She uses Semiotic Theory for analyze about the
symbols to make this thesis. She can distinguish five classification of
symbols (based on Peirce); they are: nature symbol, conventional symbol,
genuine symbol, singular symbol, and abstract symbol. She found four types
of Peirce’s symbols. There are 7 (seven) data of natural symbols, 14
(fourteen) data of genuine symbols, 3 (three) data of singular symbols, and 3
(three) data of abstract symbols. Whilst, the conventional symbols were not
found.

32
Siti Mustofiah. (2012). The Reflection of Khaled Hosseini’s Life as Seen in His Novel,
‘The Kite Runner’. (Jambi: Universitas Islam Negeri). P.1
33
Dwi Retno. (2018). The Analysis of Symbolisms Found in Khalil Gibran’s Selected
Poems. (Jambi: Universitas Islamic Negeri). P.1
 From the previous research above, different from previous research, in
this research, the writer is going to focus on the reflection of Elizabeth
Browning’s life as seen in her selected poems such as: “A Thought for A
Lonely Death-bed poem by Elizabeth Barret Browning”, “Exaggeration
poem by Elizabeth Barret Browning”, “How do I love thee poem by
Elizabeth Barrett Browning”, “Irreparableness poem by Elizabeth Barret
Browning”, “The Cry of The Children poem by Elizabeth Barret
Browning”, “A curse for A Nation poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning”.
So the title in this proposal is “Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Life As
Reflected by Her Selected Poems”.
 CHAPTER III
METHOD OF RESEARCH

3.1 Design of the Research

In writing this thesis, the writer uses the qualitative descriptive method
to accelerate in analyzing the problem. According to Bodgan and Taylor in
Margono, “Penelitian Kualitatif adalah prosedur penelitian yang
menghasilkan data deskriptif berupa kata-kata tertulis dan dari orang-orang
yang dapat di amati.”34 It means that, qualitative research is a research
procedure that produces descriptive data in form of written words and from
people that can be observed. In addition characteristic of the qualitative are
analytic descriptive and produce descriptive data spoken words of the person
or behavior being researched.
In this research, descriptive method can be defined as a problem
solving procedure investigated by describing the state of the subject or
object in the study. Descriptive method is a method in examining the status
of group of humans, an object, a set of conditions, a system of thought, or
class of event in the present. The purpose of this descriptive study is to make
a description, painting systematically, factually and accurately, of the facts,
the characteristics and relationships between the phenomena and
investigated. According to Nawawi,
“Metode deskriptif dapat diartikan sebagai prosedur pemecahan
masalah yang diselidiki dengan menggambarkan atau melukiskan
keadaan subjek atau objek penelitian (Novel, Drama, Cerita pendek,
Puisi) pada saat sekarang berdasarkan fakta-fakta yang tampak atau
sebagaimana adanya.”35

Descriptive method can be interpreted as problem solving which is

investigated by picture or depict the state of the subject or research object
(Novel, Drama, Short story, Poem) at present based on visible facts or

34
Margono. (2007). Metodologi Penelitian. (Jakarta: Rineka Cipta). p.36
35
Siswantoro. (2010). Metode Penelitian Sastra. (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar). p.56
 unification. It means that, descriptive method can be defined as a problem
solving procedures investigated by describing the state of the subject or
object in the research. According to Jalaludin Rahmat in Ibrahim’s book
state that, “Metode Deskriptif dapat diartikan sebagai sebuah penelitian
yang dilakukan untuk melukiskan variabel, satu demi satu dengan
mengumpulkan data secara unvarian, yang digunakan untuk mencari teori-
teori tentative bukan mengkaji teori.”36
On the other hand, descriptive method refers to method that provides
an accurate portrayal of characteristics of a particular individual, situation,
or group. In short, descriptive method deals with everything that can be
counted and studied, which has an impact of the lives of the people it deals
with.
From the explanation above, the writer can conclude that qualitative
descriptive method is a way of working in the research that emphasized on
aspects of the deepening of the data. It also help the writer collecting the
data to interpret and report in order to get the result of a research.

3.2 Source of the Data

Elizabeth Barret Browning has 236 poems. But In this research, the
writer takes the source of data from six of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
selected Poems. The poems are taken from a most popular written book by
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The writer wants do the research by using the
text of her poems. The writer does not analyze all poems from her all poems,
but the writer took only seven poems of them in order to make the analysis
deeper. The followings are the analyzed poems: “A thought for a lonely
death-bed” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Exaggeration” poem by
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How do I love thee” poem by Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, “Irreparableness” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
“The Cry of The Children” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and “A
Curse for A Nation” poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

36
Ibrahim. (2015). Meodology Penelitian Kualitatif. (Bandung: Alfabeta). p.59
3.3 Technique of data Collection
In this research, the writer applied documentation as technique of data
collection. The writer analyzed Elizabeth Barrett Browning of six selected
poems to collect the data which related this research.
According to Creswell, “The data collection procedures in qualitative
research involve four basic types: observation, interview, documentation and
visual image”.37 Sugiyono statet that “Dokumen merupakan catatan
peristiwa yang sudah berlalu. Dokumen biasa berbentuk tulisan, gambar
atau karya-karya monumental dari seseorang”.38 According to Atkinson
and Coffey stated that:
“Documents contain text (words) and images that have been recorded
without a researcher’s intervention. For the purposes of this discussion,
other mute or trace evidence, such as cultural artifacts, is not included.
Documents as ‘social facts’, which are produced, shared, and used in
socially organized ways.39

It means that, documentation refer to how to record the events in form

of documents, a note or file that saved. It is about events or something that
has occurred in the past. There some forms of them as kinds of
documentation are picture and literary work by someone. Document in the
form of literary work such as novels, poetries, films, short stories, and
others.
The writer used documentation method to collect the data in this
research, because based on the statement above, the form of documentation
can be a text, picture or literary work. The writer collect the data from
Elizabeth’s selected poems and it is one of the literary work that part of
document. The writer took the data by reading the poems.

37
John W Creswell. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches. (United Stated of America, 1994). P.148.
38
Sugiyono, Metode Penelitian Kualitatif. p.240
39
Glem A Bowen. (2009). Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. (Western
Carolina University). p.1
 The writer has some steps in collecting the data, in order to make this
research more specific. They are :
1. Prepare data collection sheet, after getting all important sources, the
writer read it to make sure that the data are collecting suitable with the
research.
2. Selecting the data, to get the data, the writer reads carefully some poems
that were chosen as data for analyzing. And also the writer will searches
the poem that has correlation with Elizabeth’s real life.
3. Give a description, the writer make description or brief information
about the data. Making a note of data, after reading the sources carefully,
the writer marks any important statement to make the writer easier in the
analyzing process for the research.
4. Drawing conclusion, effort to obtain certainly about the correctness of
the data. The writer processes the data to analyze them. finally, the
writer made a good arrangement for the thesis proposal itself as the last
in finalizing research.40

3.4 Technique of data Analysis

After collecting the data, the writer analyzes the data, in qualitative
research. Technique analysis data is used to answer the formulation of the
problems. In analysis the data, the writer uses a technique of data analysis.
According to Patton in Lexy J. Moleong’s book, “Analisis data adalah
proses mengatur data mengorganisasikannya kedalam suatu pola, kategori,
dan satuan uraian”.41 It means that data analysis used to explain the data to
be more easily understood.
Susan Stainback stated that data analysis is critical to the qualitative
research process. It is to recognition, study, and understanding of
interrelationship and concept in your data that hypotheses and assertion can

40
Siswantoro. (2010). Metode Penelitian Sastra. (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar). P. 73
41
Lexy J. Moleong. (2014). Metodology Penelitian Kualitatif, Ed Revisi. (Bandung:
Remaja Posdakarya). P.248
be development and evaluated.42 It can be concluded that data analysis is an
important part and also foundation of scientific research. Because data
analysis is process of systematically examining data with the purpose of
spotlighting useful information, to evaluating data. Besides that, data
analysis will draw conclusions about the information.
In this research, the writer used technique descriptive analysis to
describe of the data, descriptive analysis will help the writer to summarize
the data in meaningful way. According to Nawawi:
“Metode deskriptif dapat diartikan sebagai prosedur pemecahan
masalah yang diselidiki dengan menggambarkan dan melukiskan
keadaan subjek atau objek penelitian (novel, drama, cerita pendek,
puisi) pada saat sekarang berdasarkan fakta-fakta yang tampak atau
sebagaimana adanya.”43

The quotation above explained that descriptive method is the way to

find out solving problem. The descriptive method can help the writer to
solve the problem from the data.
There are some steps in analyzing the data in order to make this
research more specific such are:
1. Data reduction
Miles and Huberman described this technique as the first of three
elements of qualitative data analysis. Data reduction refers to the process
of selecting, focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data
that appear in written up field notes or transcriptions. The writer chooses
the important data only from all the sources of data. The writer identified
the data based on the real life of Elizabeth selected poems, which focus
on her selected poems.
2. Data display
According to Miles and Huberman, data display is an Organized,
compressed assembly of information that permits conclusion drawing. A
display can be extended piece of text or diagram, chart, or matrix

42
Sugiyono. (2007). Memahami Penelitian Kualitatif. (Bandung: Alfabeta). P.88
43
Siswantoro. (2010). Metode Penelitian Sastra. (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar). P.54
 provides a new way of arranging and thinking about more textually
embedded data. The writer will make the narrative display by retrieving
data from the text which has correlation with the problems of research.
3. Conclusion / verifying
Conclusion or verifying is the result of analyzing that answer the
research problem based on the data analyzing. The conclusion is the last
phase of research. The writer concludes the result of analysis and the
answer the formulation of the form of descriptive data.44

44
M.B. Miles and Huberman, A.M. (1984). Qualitative Data Analysis: a Source Book of
New Method. (London: Sage Publication). p.21
 CHAPTER IV
FINDING AND ANALYSIS

4.1 The Meaning of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Selected Poems

This part discuses the analysis of meaning in Elizabeth Barrett
Browning’s selected poems. Poem is one of literary work that has sentences
and words which differences meaning from daily language people used. The
writer only focuses on the meaning of Semiotic Riffaterre and contextual
meaning. Contextual meaning could be regarded in the situation, the time
and the environment. It means that, different situation will give different
meaning in a sentence.

a. How Do I Love Thee (Line 10 – 14)

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.

In this line ‘I love thee to the depth and breadth and height’.
According to Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘depth’ means distance from the
top to the bottom or from the front to the back45, the word ‘breadth’ means
distance from size to size, and the word ‘height’ means measurement of how
tall a person or thing. But in this poem, Elizabeth wants to show how big her
love her sweetheart, her love cannot reach by anything. This line
Ambiguities, the meaning of Ambiguity is mempunyai makna yang lebih
dari satu (polyinterpretable), dapat ditapsirkan bermacam-macam menurut
konteksnya.46 The words Depth, Breadth, and Height are for distance and
thing. So, those words have many meanings, the reader feels confuse when
they read it.

45
Hornby. (2008). Oxford Learner’s Pocked Dictionary Fourth Edition. (Oxford
University Press). P. 120
46
Pradopo. (1999). Semiotika: Teori, Metode, Dan Penafsiran Dalam Pemaknaan Sastra.
Humaniorah N0. 10. P.79
b. A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed (Line 11 – 14)
To die alone, with none beside thy bed
To ruffle round with sobs thy last word said
And mark with tears, the pulses ebb from thee
Pray then alone, ‘O Christ, come tenderly!

In this line ‘pray then alone, O Christ, come tenderly!’. According

to Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘alone’ means without other people 47, and
the word ‘tender’ means gentle, kind and loving48. But in this context the
line ‘pray then alone’ means Elizabeth pray alone, no one accompanies her,
no families, no friends, and no one besides her. Line ‘O Christ, come
tenderly’ Metonymies, metonymy is penggantian nama49 it means that
metonymy is the replacement of a common phrase through an expression,
which refers to the actual relationship. The word Christ is changed of God.
Elizabeth Barrett browning asks God to come tenderly because she felt
scared to face a death alone.

c. Exaggeration (Line 14)

O brother, let us leave the shame and sin
Of taking vainly, in a plaintive mood
The holy name of GRIEF! --- holy herein
That by the grief of ONE came all our good

In this line, ‘that by the grief of ONE came all our good’. According
to Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘grief’ means thing that causes great
sadness50 and the word ‘good’ means behavior which is morally right of
acceptable51. But in this situation, the meaning of this line does not think
about the tears but you must focus on your future. Life is not about sadness
anymore, but there is happiness also.

47
Hornby, P. 12
48
Hornby, P. 457
49
Pradopo, P. 78
50
Hornby, P. 195
51
Hornby, P. 192
d. Irreparableness (Line 13 – 14)
Sweet counselors, dear friend? That I should go
Back straightway to the fields and gather more?
Another, south, may do it, but not I
My heart is very tired, my strength is low
My hands are full of blossoms plucked before
Held dead within them till myself shall die.

In this line, ‘my heart is very tired, my strength is low’. According to

Oxford Dictionary, the word tired means feeling that you need rest or
sleep52. The word low means weak or depressed; not very good53. ‘my heart
is very tired, my strength is low’ is personification. According to Keraf,
Personification adalah menggambarkan benda-benda mati atau barang-
barang yang tidak bernyawa seolah memiliki sifat-sifat manusia.54 So that
line explains that inanimate object can be like human, heart can feel tired
and also strength can feel low. In this poem, the meaning of this sentence is
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was give up with her life, she does not explain
her sadness, because of her death will come soon.

e. A Curse for A nation

Write a Nation’s curse for me
And send it over the Western Sea
I faltered, taking up the word:
‘Not so, my lord!
If curses must be, choose another
To send thy curse against my brother
For I am bound by gratitude,
By love and blood,
To brothers of mine across the sea

In that line, the word ‘Love’ and ‘Blood’ is Ambiguity because the
meaning of love in this poem different with dictionary, the meaning of love
here about happiness or smile and the meaning of word Blood also different
with the meaning of dictionary, the meaning of blood here about sadness or

52
Hornby, P. 466
53
Hornby, P. 262
54
Gorys Keraf. (2009). Diksi Dan Gaya Bahasa. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
 tears. So in this poem, the meaning of this sentence is Elizabeth Barrett
Browning felt confuse with this situation, because her heart and her brain is
not in one feeling. She wants to write a curse but she is afraid about the
effect when she does that. In this sentence he gave her thankful with the
tears and the smiles.

f. The Cry of The Children

Do you Question the young children in the sorrow,
Why their tears are falling so?---
The old man may weep for his to-morrow
Which is lost in Long Ago---
The old tree is leafless in the forest---
The old year is ending in the frost---
The old wound, if stricken, is the sorest---
The old hope is hardest to be lost:
But the young, young children, O my brothers,
Do you ask them why they stand
Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers,
In our happy Fatherland?

In this line, ‘the old tree is leafless in the forest, the old year is
ending in frost’. According to Oxford dictionary, the word ‘old’ means
having lived for a long time55, the word ‘tree’ means tall plant with a
wooden trunk and branches56, the word ‘year’ means period of 12 months;
measured from any particular time57, and the word ‘frost’ means weather
with the temperature below freezing point58. ‘the old year is ending in frost’
is ambiguity, the meaning of Ambiguity is mempunyai makna yang lebih
dari satu (polyinterpretable), dapat ditapsirkan bermacam-macam menurut
konteksnya.59 In line ‘the old year is ending in frost’, the word frost in that
line has different meaning from dictionary, in this poem, frost means

55
Hornby, P. 304
56
Hornby, P. 474
57
Hornby, P. 517
58
Hornby, P. 178
59
Pradopo, P.79
 sadness and tears. So the meaning of this line is the years that full of sadness
and tears.

4.2 Elizabeth Browning’s Selected Poems That Reflect Her Life.

After the writer arranged the formulation by finding the problem and it
would be discussed and explained in this thesis. The writer explained briefly
about the theory of Expressive, Semiotic and Meaning, and then the analyzed
the formulation itself in the analysis. Several of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
poems reflect of her life. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote down the poems
and gave the information to the readers about her life experience into her
poems. She made the poem from all her life experiences. Elizabeth Barrett
Browning has complication illness and her life is not simples full of worry,
prejudice, and complicated. But her life is not all of about sadness, Elizabeth
Barrett Browning also made her poems with some expression, they are:
sadness, happiness, and sympathy.

A. Reflection of Happiness
Happiness is an emotion that is often associated with a state of mind
that reflects contentment, satisfaction, pleasure or joy. Happiness is one of
the most popular emotions. Happiness is characterized by a facial
expression that causes someone to raise the corners of their mouth upwards.
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning selected poems, the writer found a poem
that reflect her happiness in a poem, entitle: How do I love thee

How Do I Love Thee (Line 10 – 14)

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.

This poem wrote in 1850 at Italy. “sonnet 43” begins with ‘How do I
love thee? Let me count the ways’ a line that itself would have sealed
 Barrett Browning place in the literary canon if all else had somehow failed
to do so. This poem she wrote for her sweetheart. Their romance was
bitterly opposed by her father, who did not want any of his children to
marry. In 1846, the couple eloped and settled in Florence, Italy, where
Elizabeth health improved and she bore a son, Robert Wideman Browning.
Her father never spoke to her again. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet
from the fortugies, dedicated to her husband (Robert Browning) and written
secret before their marriage, was published in 185060.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning describes about her life when she felt
happy after marry with someone who she loves. She felt grateful to have
been loved by a men like her husband. She loves her husband purely,
sincerely, and freely. He came when some of the special people who she
loved was go away, her mother and two her brothers. Her husband gives
new happiness for remove her tears. Elizabeth Barrett Browning loves her
husband with her breath, her smiles, and also her tears. But if she died with
all of this happiness, she will always love her husband with the same love,
and also with the more feeling of love. This poem is one of Elizabeth
Barrett Browning famous works, this poem was published by her husband
after her death.

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.

The line above shows that how deep Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
love is for her sweetheart. She expresses the extent of her love using
measurements of places where her soul can reach. It makes a point that her
love cannot be measured. Even if the world ends, she will always still love
him. Her love for him will never change.

60
Alice Meynell. (2012). Elizabeth Barrett Browning Poems. (Poemhunter.com – The
World’s Poetry Archive). P.6
 I love thee to the level of every day’s.
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

These lines present us that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love always

increases every day. In addition, it is Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
necessity to love her sweetheart. She needs her sweetheart every day and
every night.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

These lines show that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love is wonderful.

Everything she will stand for the sake of her love with her sweetheart. She
is willing to sacrifice and fight as a male fighter for her right. She also tells
that her love is pure, as it turns out her praise for the pure love itself. In
other word, her love is unconditional love.

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints.

From this line, ‘in my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith’. It
figures out that there is a past experiences of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It
is proven by the word ‘my childhood’s faith’. It means that when she was
child she felt something that she will tell in the next line. The next line is ‘I
love thee with a love I seemed to lose’. It imagines that she loves someone
but there is an obstacle in her love that makes her loves become a little bit
fade or lose. Then, Elizabeth Barrett Browning wants tell through her line
that her love seems to lose her out as she lost her saints. ‘Saints’ here can
be interpreted as spirit, soul or holy wish of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
 The lines above express that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love is
powerful. She loves him with the life is in her well being, every happiness,
sadness, and her whole life. She believes that she has a feeling of wonderful
attraction that makes her really love him. She loves him even if after death.
Beyond the grave, she wishes God’s permission that she will always love
him eternally. It is evidence that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s
commitments can be undoubted anymore. Although, she will be separated
by the death, she still wants to be with the other person.

B. Reflection of Sadness
Sadness is an emotion that is often associated with the feelings of
disadvantage, loss, and helplessness. Sadness is considered to be the direct
opposite of happiness, and can also be characterized as sorrow, grief,
misery, and melancholy. By Elizabeth Barrett Browning selected poems,
the writer found three poems that reflect her sadness. They are those
poems:

a. A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed (Line 11 – 14)

To die alone, with none beside thy bed
To ruffle round with sobs thy last word said
And mark with tears, the pulses ebb from thee
Pray then alone, ‘O Christ, come tenderly!

No earthly friend being near me, interpose

No deathly angel ‘twixt my face and thin
But stoop thyself so gather my life’s rose
And smile away my mortal to divine!

This poem wrote in 1845 at England, when Elizabeth Barrett

Browning’s willingness to engage in public discourse about social issues
and about aesthetic issues in poetry, which had been so strong in her youth,
gradually diminished, as did her physical health. As an intellectual presence
and a physical being, she was becoming a shadow of herself. Her doctors
strongly encouraged her to go to the warmer climates of Italy to avoid
another English winter, but her father would not hear of it61.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s mother died two years later and her
father’s business foundered, forcing him to sell their estate. The family
eventually settled in London, but the interruption never gave Elizabeth
Barrett Browning pause. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poor health forced
her to live with her brother Edward near the Sea of Torquay for a period,
but tragedy would strike again when he drowned, and she returned to
London, emotionally and physically shattered.
In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning describes about her life
when she felt lonely overflowing sadness and scares when she has to face
death alone. No one besides who hold her hand cry of lost and she is in her
own, no families, no friends, no beloveds, no someone specials, and not
even an angels who want to accompany her in final sleep.
She felt scared when she has to face the death alone. No one
accompanies her, she was really sad because of her destiny. She only prays
alone before to face her death ‘O Christ, come tenderly!’.

b. Exaggeration (Line 14)

O brother, let us leave the shame and sin
Of taking vainly, in a plaintive mood
The holy name of GRIEF! --- holy herein
That by the grief of ONE came all our good

This poem wrote in 1845 at England. When Elizabeth Barrett

Browning’s mother died two years later and her father’s business
foundered, forcing him to sell their estate. The family eventually settled in
London, but the interruption never gave Elizabeth Barrett Browning pause.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poor health forced her to live with her brother
Edward near the Sea of Torquay for a period, but tragedy would strike
again when he drowned, and she returned to London, emotionally and

61
Alice Meynel, P.6
physically shattered. Because of that situation Elizabeth Barrett Browning
wrote this poem to give spirit for her family about what happen in their
family.62
In this poem Elizabeth Barrett Browning describes about her life,
when she wants to give spirits for her sisters and her brothers, because of
many problems that happen before. For example, her mother was died, and
also her brothers was died in the same year, her family’s economy declined,
with this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning gives a support for her sisters
and her brothers with a sentences “one sadness will change to many
happiness” its mean that this life not only about sadness, but also about
happiness, believe it !

c. Irreparableness (Line 13 – 14)

Sweet counselors, dear friend? That I should go
Back straightway to the fields and gather more?
Another, south, may do it, but not I
My heart is very tired, my strength is low
My hands are full of blossoms plucked before
Held dead within them till myself shall die

This poem wrote in 1845 at England, when Elizabeth Barrett

Browning’s willingness to engage in public discourse about social issues
and about aesthetic issues in poetry, which had been so strong in her youth,
gradually diminished, as did her physical health. As an intellectual presence
and a physical being, she was becoming a shadow of herself. Her doctors
strongly encouraged her to go to the warmer climates of Italy to avoid
another English winter, but her father would not hear of it63.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s mother died two years later and her
father’s business foundered, forcing him to sell their estate. The family
eventually settled in London, but the interruption never gave Elizabeth
Barrett Browning pause. Elizabeth Barrett Browning poor health forced her

62
Alice Meynell, P.6
63
Alice Meynell, P.6
to live with her brother Edward near the Sea of Torquay for a period, but
tragedy would strike again when he drowned, and she returned to London,
emotionally and physically shattered.
In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning describes about her life
when her death will come soon. In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
describes her expressions of sadness. ‘my heart is very tired, my strength is
low’. From that sentences, explain that she was give up, tired, and weak.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning felt surrendered with the fate that was happen
in her life. She has gives up to fight with her illness. She needs to take a
rest before God came to take her away forever.

C. Reflection of Sympathy
Sympathy is the act of showing support for or approval of an idea,
cause, and many others. Sympathy expression is an expression or feeling of
pity and sorrow when we know and see someone or people are unlucky or
have trouble and in bad condition. By expression sympathy we want to
show our concern or carefulness on other people condition. By Elizabeth
Barrett Browning selected poems, the writer found two poems that reflect
her sympathy. They are:

a. A Curse for A nation

Write a Nation’s curse for me
And send it over the Western Sea

I faltered, taking up the word:

‘Not so, my lord!
If curses must be, choose another
To send thy curse against my brother

For I am bound by gratitude,

By love and blood,
To brothers of mine across the sea
 This poem wrote in 1860 at Italian. When issue a small volume of
political poems titled poems before congress (1860).64 “Most of which
were written to express her sympathy with the Italian cause after the
outbreak of fighting in 1859”. They caused a furore in England and she
was labeled as a fanatic by conservative magazines Blackwood’s and
the Saturday review.
In this line, ‘For I am bound by gratitude by love and blood’,
According to Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘gratitude’ means feeling of
being grateful and wanting to express your thanks65. The word ‘love’
means strong feeling of deep affection66, and the word ‘blood’ means
red liquid that flows through your body67. The words ‘love and blood’
is Ambiguity, the meaning of Ambiguity is mempunyai makna yang
lebih dari satu (polyinterpretable), dapat ditapsirkan bermacam-
macam menurut konteksnya.68
In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning avoids to send a curse for
a nation, because her sympathy for Italy broke out in the battle. If she
agrees to send a curse for a nation, she is afraid of what will happen
later, for the sins of this country, and does not want to see the tears of
the children anymore. God will repay everything, and also save this
earth. Although she actually wanted write the curses, but she was afraid
of the impact of that. In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning initially
refused to write the curses, but with the angelic persuasion, she finally
wrote the curses. It means that, in the fact she does not want to interfere
in political affairs in this country, but her heart was opposed, she must
act in a way to write this poem.

64
Alice Meynell, P.7
65
Hornby, P. 194
66
Hornby, P.262
67
Hornby, P. 41
68
Pradopo, P.79
 b. The Cry of The Children
Do you Question the young children in the sorrow,
Why their tears are falling so?---
The old man may weep for his to-morrow
Which is lost in Long Ago---
The old tree is leafless in the forest---
The old year is ending in the frost---
The old wound, if stricken, is the sorest---
The old hope is hardest to be lost:
But the young, young children, O my brothers,
Do you ask them why they stand
Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers,
In our happy Fatherland?

This poem wrote in 1842 at England. When she condemned child

labor and helped bring about child labor reforms by rousing support for
Lord Shaftesbury’s Ten Hours Bill (1844).69 She campaigned for the
abolition of slavery and her work helped influence reform in the child
labor legislation. She also made efforts to abolish slavery and child
labor.
In this poem, the meaning of that sentence means, when the
children old, they do not get something in their life, their life was broke
because of their youth. Without smiles, without laughs, without
happiness, only tears. They still think of their past. From that sentence
shows that the sadness of Elizabeth Barrett Browning of the children.
In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning opposes child labor, in
this sentence “do you ask them why they stand. Weeping sore before
the bosoms of their mothers. In our happy fatherland”. Explained that
she felt sad when she saw the children was crying, which their youth
was taken, the youth is the time for them to play, not working as a old
man, in this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning wants to describe their
sadness, and to abolish slavery and child labor.

69
Alice Meynell, P.5
 This poem tells about, she wants to describe about broken of the
future the children, when they are old, what will they get? There is
happiness anymore, only tears will accompany their old. Because what,
their childhood was gloomy, was broken, their youth all about tears and
sadness. With this poem, may the government of this homeland be
aware and abolish slavery and child labor.
 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

A. Conclusions
After analyzing the reflection of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life as
seen in her selected poems, they are:
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems are varied, there are: happiness,
sadness, and sympathy. The first poem is about her love, the second poem is
about has feeling when she felt scared to face the death alone, the third poem
is about her sympathy with the Italian cause after the outbreak of fighting. The
fourth poem is about her condemned child labor and helped abolish child
labor, the fifth poem is about her life when she wants to give spirits for her
sisters and for her brothers, because of many problems that happen before, and
the last poem is about her sadness, in this poem she describing about her life
when her death come soon.
Six selected poems reflect Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life in the first
poem “How Do I Love Thee” wrote in 1850 at Italy, this poem tells about her
life when she felt happy after marry with someone who she loves. This poem
her dedicated for her sweetheart (Robert Browning) and written secret before
her marriage. The second poem “A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed” wrote
in 1845 at England, this poem tells about her feeling of scared when she has to
face the death alone. No one accompanies her, and she was really sad because
of her destiny. The third poem “A Curse for A Nation” wrote in 1860 at
Italian. This poem tells about her sympathy with the Italian cause after the
outbreak of fighting, in this poem she send a curse for a nation. The fourth
poem “The Cry of The Children” wrote in 1842 at England. This poem tells
about child labor, she want to abolish slavery and child labor in England. This
poem tell about the sadnesss of children. The fifth poem “Exaggeration”
wrote in 1845 at England. This poem tells about her life when she wants to
give spirits for her sisters and for her brothers, because of many problems that
happen before, like her mother died, her father business foundered, and also
 her poor health. And the last poem “Irreparableness” wrote in 1845 at
England, this poem describes about her expression of her sadness, when her
death will come soon. She has given up to fights with her illness. She needs to
take a rest before God came to take her away forever.
The writer uses Semiotic of Riffaterre to interpret the poems, and also
the writer used lexical and contextual meaning. Based on the theory of
Semiotic Riffaterre, the writer found three ambiguities sentences, a metonymy
sentence, and a personification sentence. As we know, interpret the poems has
many way, as the writer does here, the writer used some of meaning to
interpret the poems.

B. Suggestions
At the end of this thesis, the writer would like to give some suggestion
based on the analysis in this research, there are some suggestion related to this
research. The writer hopes and suggests this research can give contribution
knowledge for junior of English Literature Department, especially about the
same poet, same object, and about the reflection with author’s life to the
reader.
The writer suggests that the other researchers can continue the research
about Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life, because there are many other cases
which are good to be discussed and analyzed, for example about symbols of
the poems, and study of linguistic in the poems. Since this study only
discussed about the poem reflected Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s life, the
writer suggests the next researcher to conduct further research focus on one of
his life, like education, career, or struggle and so on. The researchers should
not be afraid to do a literary research because analyzing a literary work in
linguistic and literature, because analyzing a literary work is not hard and we
are never wrong in literature, there is only the different perception about
linguistic and literature related to many other field of science. Besides that,
this thesis is not far away from mistakes, therefore the writer needs some
critics and suggestions to make this thesis more better.
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APPENDIXES I
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Selected Poems

How Do I Love Thee

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 candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a 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 Barrett Browning

A Thought for A Lonely Death-Bed

IF God compel thee to this destiny,
To die alone, with none beside thy bed
To ruffle round with sobs thy last word said
And mark with tears the pulses ebb from thee,--
Pray then alone, ' O Christ, come tenderly !
By thy forsaken Sonship in the red
Drear wine-press,--by the wilderness out-spread,--
And the lone garden where thine agony
Fell bloody from thy brow,--by all of those
Permitted desolations, comfort mine !
No earthly friend being near me, interpose
No deathly angel 'twixt my face aud thine,
But stoop Thyself to gather my life's rose,
And smile away my mortal to Divine ! '
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
A Curse for A Nation
I heard an angel speak last night,
And he said 'Write!
Write a Nation's curse for me,
And send it over the Western Sea.'

I faltered, taking up the word:

'Not so, my lord!
If curses must be, choose another
To send thy curse against my brother.

'For I am bound by gratitude,

By love and blood,
To brothers of mine across the sea,
Who stretch out kindly hands to me.'

'Therefore,' the voice said, 'shalt thou write

My curse to-night.
From the summits of love a curse is driven,
As lightning is from the tops of heaven.'

'Not so,' I answered. 'Evermore

My heart is sore
For my own land's sins: for little feet
Of children bleeding along the street:

'For parked-up honors that gainsay

The right of way:
For almsgiving through a door that is
Not open enough for two friends to kiss:

'For love of freedom which abates

Beyond the Straits:
For patriot virtue starved to vice on
Self-praise, self-interest, and suspicion:

'For an oligarchic parliament,

And bribes well-meant.
What curse to another land assign,
When heavy-souled for the sins of mine?'

'Therefore,' the voice said, 'shalt thou write

My curse to-night.
Because thou hast strength to see and hate
A foul thing done within thy gate.'
'Not so,' I answered once again.
'To curse, choose men.
For I, a woman, have only known
How the heart melts and the tears run down.'

'Therefore,' the voice said, 'shalt thou write

My curse to-night.
Some women weep and curse, I say
(And no one marvels), night and day.

'And thou shalt take their part to-night,

Weep and write.
A curse from the depths of womanhood
Is very salt, and bitter, and good.'

So thus I wrote, and mourned indeed,

What all may read.
And thus, as was enjoined on me,
I send it over the Western Sea.

The Curse
Because ye have broken your own chain
With the strain
Of brave men climbing a Nation's height,
Yet thence bear down with brand and thong
On souls of others, -- for this wrong
This is the curse. Write.

Because yourselves are standing straight

In the state
Of Freedom's foremost acolyte,
Yet keep calm footing all the time
On writhing bond-slaves, -- for this crime
This is the curse. Write.

Because ye prosper in God's name,

With a claim
To honor in the old world's sight,
Yet do the fiend's work perfectly
In strangling martyrs, -- for this lie
This is the curse. Write.

Ye shall watch while kings conspire

Round the people's smouldering fire,
And, warm for your part,
Shall never dare -- O shame!
To utter the thought into flame
Which burns at your heart.
This is the curse. Write.

Ye shall watch while nations strive

With the bloodhounds, die or survive,
Drop faint from their jaws,
Or throttle them backward to death;
And only under your breath
Shall favor the cause.
This is the curse. Write.

Ye shall watch while strong men draw

The nets of feudal law
To strangle the weak;
And, counting the sin for a sin,
Your soul shall be sadder within
Than the word ye shall speak.
This is the curse. Write.

When good men are praying erect

That Christ may avenge His elect
And deliver the earth,
The prayer in your ears, said low,
Shall sound like the tramp of a foe
That's driving you forth.
This is the curse. Write.

When wise men give you their praise,

They shall praise in the heat of the phrase,
As if carried too far.
When ye boast your own charters kept true,
Ye shall blush; for the thing which ye do
Derides what ye are.
This is the curse. Write.

When fools cast taunts at your gate,

Your scorn ye shall somewhat abate
As ye look o'er the wall;
For your conscience, tradition, and name
Explode with a deadlier blame
Than the worst of them all.
This is the curse. Write.

Go, wherever ill deeds shall be done,

Go, plant your flag in the sun
 Beside the ill-doers!
And recoil from clenching the curse
Of God's witnessing Universe
With a curse of yours.
This is the curse. Write.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The Cry of The Children

Do ye hear the children weeping, O my brothers,
Ere the sorrow comes with years?
They are leaning their young heads against their mothers---
And that cannot stop their tears.
The young lambs are bleating in the meadows;
The young birds are chirping in the nest;
The young fawns are playing with the shadows;
The young flowers are blowing toward the west---
But the young, young children, O my brothers,
They are weeping bitterly!---
They are weeping in the playtime of the others
In the country of the free.

Do you question the young children in the sorrow,

Why their tears are falling so?---
The old man may weep for his to-morrow
Which is lost in Long Ago---
The old tree is leafless in the forest---
The old year is ending in the frost---
The old wound, if stricken, is the sorest---
The old hope is hardest to be lost:
But the young, young children, O my brothers,
Do you ask them why they stand
Weeping sore before the bosoms of their mothers,
In our happy Fatherland?

They look up with their pale and sunken faces,

And their looks are sad to see,
For the man's grief abhorrent, draws and presses
Down the cheeks of infancy---
'Your old earth,' they say, 'is very dreary;'
'Our young feet,' they say, 'are very weak!
Few paces have we taken, yet are wearyÑ
Our grave-rest is very far to seek.
Ask the old why they weep, and not the children,
For the outside earth is cold,---
And we young ones stand without, in our bewildering,
And the graves are for the old.

'True,' say the young children, 'it may happen

That we die before our time.
Little Alice died last year---the grave is shapen
Like a snowball, in the rime.
We looked into the pit prepared to take her---
Was no room for any work in the close clay:
From the sleep wherein she lieth none will wake her
Crying, 'Get up, little Alice! it is day.'
If you listen by that grave, in sun and shower,
With your ear down, little Alice never cries!---
Could we see her face, be sure we should not know her,
For the smile has time for growing in her eyes---
And merry go her moments, lulled and stilled in
The shroud, by the kirk-chime!
It is good when it happens,' say the children,
'That we die before our time.'

Alas, alas, the children! they are seeking

Death in life, as best to have!
They are binding up their hearts away from breaking,
With a cerement from the grave.
Go out, children, from the mine and from the city---
Sing out, children, as the little thrushes do---
Pluck your handfuls of the meadow-cowslips pretty---
Laugh aloud, to feel your fingers let them through!
But they answer, 'Are your cowslips of the meadows
Like our weeds anear the mine?
Leave us quiet in the dark of the coal-shadows,
From your pleasures fair and fine!

'For oh,' say the children, 'we are weary,

And we cannot run or leap---
If we cared for any meadows, it were merely
To drop down in them and sleep.
Our knees tremble sorely in the stooping---
We fall upon our faces, trying to go;
And, underneath our heavy eyelids drooping,
The reddest flower would look as pale as snow.
For, all day, we drag our burden tiring,
Through the coal-dark, underground---
Or, all day, we drive the wheels of iron
In the factories, round and round.
'For, all day, the wheels are droning, turning,---
Their wind comes in our faces,---
Till our hearts turn,---our head, with pulses burning,
And the walls turn in their places---
Turns the sky in the high window blank and reeling---
Turns the long light that droppeth down the wall---
Turn the black flies that crawl along the ceiling---
All are turning, all the day, and we with all.---
And, all day, the iron wheels are droning;
And sometimes we could pray,
'O ye wheels,' (breaking out in a mad moaning)
'Stop! be silent for to-day!' '

Ay! be silent! Let them hear each other breathing

For a moment, mouth to mouth---
Let them touch each other's hands, in a fresh wreathing
Of their tender human youth!
Let them feel that this cold metallic motion
Is not all the life God fashions or reveals---
Let them prove their inward souls against the notion
That they live in you, os under you, O wheels!---
Still, all day, the iron wheels go onward,
Grinding life down from its mark;
And the children's souls, which God is calling sunward,
Spin on blindly in the dark.

Now, tell the poor young children, O my brothers,

To look up to Him and pray---
So the blessed One, who blesseth all the others,
Will bless them another day.
They answer, 'Who is God that He should hear us,
White the rushing of the iron wheels is stirred?
When we sob aloud, the human creatures near us
Pass by, hearing not, or answer not a word!
And we hear not (for the wheels in their resounding)
Strangers speaking at the door:
Is it likely God, with angels singing round Him,
Hears our weeping any more?

'Two words, indeed, of praying we remember,

And at midnight's hour of harm,---
'Our Father,' looking upward in the chamber,
We say softly for a charm.
We know no other words except 'Our Father,'
And we think that, in some pause of angels' song,
God may pluck them with the silence sweet to gather,
 And hold both within His right hand which is strong.
'Our Father!' If He heard us, He would surely
(For they call Him good and mild)
Answer, smiling down the steep world very purely,
'Come and rest with me, my child.'

'But no!' say the children, weeping faster,

'He is speechless as a stone;
And they tell us, of His image is the master
Who commands us to work on.
Go to!' say the children,---'Up in Heaven,
Dark, wheel-like, turning clouds are all we find.
Do not mock us; grief has made us unbelieving---
We look up for God, but tears have made us blind.'
Do you hear the children weeping and disproving,
O my brothers, what ye preach?
For God's possible is taught by His world's loving---
And the children doubt of each.

And well may the children weep before you;

They are weary ere they run;
They have never seen the sunshine, nor the glory
Which is brighter than the sun:
They know the grief of man, but not the wisdom;
They sink in man's despair, without its calm---
Are slaves, without the liberty in Christdom,---
Are martyrs, by the pang without the palm,---
Are worn, as if with age, yet unretrievingly
No dear remembrance keep,---
Are orphans of the earthly love and heavenly:
Let them weep! let them weep!

They look up, with their pale and sunken faces,

And their look is dread to see,
For they mind you of their angels in their places,
With eyes meant for Deity;---
'How long,' they say, 'how long, O cruel nation,
Will you stand, to move the world, on a child's heart,
Stifle down with a mailed heel its palpitation,
And tread onward to your throne amid the mart?
Our blood splashes upward, O our tyrants,
And your purple shows yo}r path;
But the child's sob curseth deeper in the silence
Than the strong man in his wrath!'

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Exaggeration
WE overstate the ills of life, and take
Imagination (given us to bring down
The choirs of singing angels overshone
By God's clear glory) down our earth to rake
The dismal snows instead, flake following flake,
To cover all the corn; we walk upon
The shadow of hills across a level thrown,
And pant like climbers: near the alder brake
We sigh so loud, the nightingale within
Refuses to sing loud, as else she would.
O brothers, let us leave the shame and sin
Of taking vainly, in a plaintive mood,
The holy name of GRIEF !--holy herein
That by the grief of ONE came all our good.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Irreparableness
I HAVE been in the meadows all the day
And gathered there the nosegay that you see
Singing within myself as bird or bee
When such do field-work on a morn of May.
But, now I look upon my flowers, decay
Has met them in my hands more fatally
Because more warmly clasped,--and sobs are free
To come instead of songs. What do you say,
Sweet counsellors, dear friends ? that I should go
Back straightway to the fields and gather more ?
Another, sooth, may do it, but not I !
My heart is very tired, my strength is low,
My hands are full of blossoms plucked before,
Held dead within them till myself shall die.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

APPENDIXES II
Biography Of Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning is perhaps best known for her
'Sonnets From the Portuguese' and 'Aurora Leigh' as well as the love story
between her and fellow poet Robert Browning.

Synopsis

Born in 1806, Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning published her

first major collection, The Seraphim and Other Poems, in 1838.
Her collection Poems (1844) caught the attention of fellow poet Robert Browning,
whose admiring letter to her led to a lifelong romance and marriage. The couple
moved to Italy, where Elizabeth became interested in Italian politics and released
her monumental work, Sonnets From the Portuguese in 1850.

Early Life

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born on March 6, 1806, at Coxhoe Hall,

Durham, England. She was the oldest of 12 children, and her family made their
fortune from Jamaican sugar plantations. Educated at home, Barrett was a
precocious reader and writer. Having delved into classics such as the works of
John Milton and William Shakespeare before her teen years, she also wrote her
first book of poetry by age 12. Deeply religious, Barrett’s writing often explored
Christian themes, a trait that would remain throughout her life’s works.

Emerging Writer

At age 14, Barrett developed a lung illness that required her to take
morphine for the rest of her life, and the following year, she suffered a spinal
injury that would serve as another setback. Despite her health issues, Barrett lived
the literary life to the fullest, teaching herself Hebrew, studying Greek culture and
publishing her first book in 1820, The Battle of Marathon, which her father bound
and released privately.

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In 1826, she (anonymously) published the collection An Essay on Mind

and Other Poems, which became a touchstone in her writing career.
Unfortunately, fate would throw more obstacles her way soon after its release.
Barrett’s mother died two years later and her father’s business foundered, forcing
him to sell their estate. The family eventually settled in London, but the
interruption never gave Barrett pause. Soon after the estate was sold, she
published her translation of Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound (1833), and in 1838,
she published The Seraphim and Other Poems.

Barrett’s poor health forced her to live with her brother Edward near the
Sea of Torquay for a period, but tragedy would strike again when he drowned, and
she returned to London, emotionally and physically shattered. Whether it was
despite or because of her continued struggles, Barrett continued writing, and in
1844 her collection titled Poems was published. Besides catching the eye of the
reading public, it also drew the attention of established English poet Robert
Browning. Browning wrote Barrett a letter, and the pair exchanged nearly 600
letters over the following 20 months, which culminated in their elopement in
1846. Barrett’s father was very much against the marriage, and he never spoke
with his daughter again.

Established Poet

In 1849, the Brownings' only child, Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning,

was born in Florence, Italy, the couple’s newly adopted country. A year later,
Barrett Browning released Sonnets From the Portuguese, a collection of 44 love
sonnets that would become one of her seminal works and one of the greatest
sequences of sonnets in history. The collection was dedicated to Browning and
written in secret during their courtship. "Sonnet 43" begins with “How do I love
thee? Let me count the ways,” a line that itself would have sealed Barrett
Browning’s place in the literary canon if all else had somehow failed to do so.

"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." –
Elizabeth Barrett Browning / How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

Life in Florence was good to the poet’s creative process, as was the roiling
political and social atmosphere in Italy. She published the politically charged
poem "Casa Guidi Windows" in 1851. Barrett Browning followed it up in 1856
with Aurora Leigh (a blank-verse novel/poem), which is her longest work, and
then Poems Before Congress in 1860. Included in the Poems Before
Congress collection is “A Curse for a Nation,” which criticized slavery in
America (although she doesn't specifically mention the country's name). The
Boston abolitionist publication, The Independent, first published the poem in
1856.

She could never overcome her generally weak constitution though, and
Barrett Browning died in Florence on June 29, 1861 at the age of 55 as one of the
most beloved poets of the Romantic Movement.