The
views of Robert Browning concerning religion is one of the most fascinating
subjects when it comes to the works of Victorian poets. This is because it
involves a situation where there is no stable stance on the subject throughout
his works to such an extent that there have been radically different views
concerning the subject. A prominent aspect of Browning’s poetry is that it
shows the ever-shifting attitudes that he has concerning religion and this can
be considered an essential part of the various events that took place in his
life (Turner 5).
It can also be considered a means through which he expressed his inner thoughts
concerning the way individuals in society responded to religion. Browning’s
works are important because they show that rather than having consistent
thoughts about religion, individuals ‘attitudes often change with the events,
whether positive or negative, that take place in their lives. These individuals
instead seek to make sure that they understand the purpose of religion and the
role that it plays in their lives. Browning, through his poetry, challenges the
social conformity towards religion that is prevalent in his society and this is
to such an extent that very few individuals are able to challenge the
institutions of religion. In this paper, there will be an analysis of Robert
Browning’s views on religion through an assessment of his life experiences as
well as his works, with specific reference to “The Bishop Orders His Tomb”,
“Fra Lippo Lippi”, and “Porphyria’s Lover”.
Robert
Browning was born in 1812 to a well to do family in England, with his family
background being quite extensive because it included German, Scottish, and a
paternal grandmother believed to be of mixed origin. He lived in an environment
where his parents encouraged him to have considerable freedom of thought to
such an extent that he was able to develop independent thought at a very early
age. Furthermore, he became interested in the arts from a young age and this
was essential in the advancement of his ideas concerning the society within
which he lived. Browning’s life was one where because of his father’s good
income was able to have an environment and the necessities that he needed to
further his career as a poet (Gale).
It was fundamental in helping to advance his initiatives because it allowed him
to ensure that he made a careful study of his society, mostly because of his
mother’s influence, and discover some of the different contradictions that
plagued it. He was essentially taught at home because he hated the school
environment and did not attend either Oxford or Cambridge because at the time,
admission was only allowed for Anglicans while he was raised an evangelical. It
is fundamental that Browning became so much involved in addressing the matter
of religion in his poetic works, and this is especially the case following his
marriage to Elizabeth Barrett, a sickly woman. His marriage was what brought
him to the limelight because his wife was more well known in the literary
circles at the time, and their decision to move to Italy for the sake of her
health can be considered a testament of his love for her.
In
his youth, Browning displayed considerable flexibility when it came to his
religious beliefs. He was an individual who, despite being raised in a deeply
religious environment, with his mother being an evangelical and a
non-conformist. She, however, promoted her son’s interests in matters other
than religion through her buying him the works of Shelley, who was a well-known
atheist. A result was that for a time, Browning, who greatly admired Shelley,
became both an atheist and a vegetarian, like his hero (Suzuki 63).
However, despite this shift in belief, Browning seems to not have held on to it
for a long time and it is possible that his shifting stance in his early youth
was essentially a young man trying to find himself. Browning can be considered
to have been quite openminded when it came to religious beliefs in his youth
and it is this attitude that essentially guided him for the rest of his life.
His flexibility when it came to religious beliefs does not seem to have
prevented him from undertaking different works and it is possible that he
sought to better understand religious beliefs through his works. His religious
beliefs, which were at first moulded on that of his own family, must have been
significantly challenged by the social realities around him and may have
contributed to his not being too attached to conventional beliefs in his life. Therefore,
while he may not have remained an atheist for long, Browning seems to have live
in a situation where religion did not play a significant role in his youth.
Browning
is an individual whose religious beliefs significantly changed as he grew
older. This is especially considering that he lived at a time where a
considerable number of people essentially conformed to the religious beliefs in
which they were raised. However, Browning was among those whose beliefs were
everchanging because he had the ability to question and criticise the dominant
aspects of religion in his society. Browning’s works show an individual who despite
being much concerned with religion did not address it himself. Instead, he made
the various characters within his works make their own declarations concerning
religion and its purpose. In this way, he was able to ensure that he created a
level of debate concerning religion and how it affected the daily lives of
individuals. Browning’s religious stance can be considered to have become more
consistent as he grew older and during this period, it was affected more by the
events that took place in his life rather than being based on any firm
religious principles. He was an individual who showed a propensity towards the belief
that religion could be a source of good in society and showed an admiration for
the manner in which the bible promoted goodness. However, the different events
that took place in his life, such as the death of his wife, may have
significantly reduced his faith in religion to such an extent that he was seen
as having rejected the very idea of its authenticity.
One
of the most significant influences on Browning were the works of John Donne.
While he had lived in the 17th century, his works were essentially
considered little more than uncouth. However, Browning went against the grain
by admiring and idolising Donne, much to the surprise of his contemporaries (Gale).
Browning’s admiration for Donne may have stemmed from the latter’s quite
liberal perspective of the world, which was not popular during his time. His
free discussion of such subjects as love and the manner through which he
described the various subjects that he wrote about, were considered uncouth
during his own time. However, Browning seems to have admired this individuals
because of the daring that he had in being able to challenge the social
conventions of the seventeenth century and seeking to think outside of the
religious and social restrictions that had been placed on individuals in the
society. Browning can be considered to also have been a liberal in a period where
there seem to have been considerable social restrictions in addition to open
hostility when it came to individuals going against what were considered
correct religious practices. Therefore, Donne’s influence of Browning cannot be
underestimated since it may have been the catalyst that made the latter venture
into the way of thinking, in a liberal manner, that served as a hallmark of his
works. Donne’s poetry also seems to have been responsible for the style that
was later adopted by Browning in his own poetic works. Therefore, Donne was an
important influence on Browning because the latter idolised him and his way of
thinking, and this influence may have also been important when it came to
Browning’s opinions concerning society and the role of religion within it.
The
image of Faust plays a prominent role in the poetry of Robert Browning. This is
because he is used to symbolise the poet, as is the case where this individual
uses unconventional means to achieve his goals. Faust’s use of black magic, and
the manner through which Browning makes him a symbol of the poet shown that the
latter may have been experiencing a situation where his religious beliefs had
taken a downturn. Faust’s life is highly symbolic of the need by human beings
to take responsibility for their own lives and do what they can to ensure that
they are in full possession of their destinies. Faust is therefore symbolic of
the ability of human beings to control their lives without the intervention of
religion. However, Browning seems to have lost interest in using Faust to
symbolise the poet, with this role being given to Elisha. It shows that the
considerable reversal that Browning experiences when it comes to his opinion
concerning religion. When one considers that Faust was eventually condemned for
his actions, his replacement by Elisha is extremely important. Elisha’s
miracle, where he resurrected the son of the Shunamite woman is consistent with
Browning’s regaining of his religious beliefs. It is symbolic of the revival of
those instances where individuals, after having lose their faith and regained
it, constantly seek to ensure that they attain the highest possible level of
religious observance. Faust and Elisha in this case can be considered symbolic
of the opposite religious inclinations that affect Browning from throughout his
life.
Moreover,
Browning is shown to be an individual who considered death to be imminent for
all individuals. His works show a significant attempt to address death and the
manner that it comes about. Therefore, while the world is a beautiful place to
live in, despite the problems that can be found within it, it is inevitable
that death will eventually find us and that with death, the world will cease to
be of any use. Browning’s opinion of death can be seen in the way that he seems
to be abandoning the prophetic role that he undertook when he me Elisha the
representation of the poet. This abandonment is extremely symbolic of
Browning’s significant belief that death will eventually come and that human
beings do not have the power to resist it. The achievement of the goals of
religion is to ensure that there is the advancement of the lives of individuals
in such a way that they are able to achieve salvation after their deaths.
Therefore, it is essential that humans seek to redeem themselves because at
death, the beauty of the world opens up, and despite the desire to continue
living within it, death denies them the ability to achieve this objective. It
is possible that Browning was of the belief that human beings had to make the
most of being alive through undertaking those tasks that they believed to be
important while at the same time living righteously. This is especially
considering that death is constantly imminent and it is likely to come about
without warning.
It
seems that Browning believes individuals in the world can only be able to
achieve salvation through the observance of divine love. He further suggests
that human beings are constantly shown evidence of divine power, but while the
latter is in evidence, there is a failure to realise that it is important for
it to be tempered with divine love (Steward).
A consequence of this stance is that it promotes the belief that individuals should
take responsibility for their actions in such a way that it allows them to view
the world differently. It is likely that Browning is essentially condemning the
selfish nature of human beings because he suggests that individuals do not do
enough to promote the advancement of love in their societies. They instead seek
to ensure that they accomplish their own selfish interests at the expense of
others. The matter of salvation can also be considered a means through which
Browning condemns the church establishment, especially the monopoly of power
that is displayed by clergymen. The latter are essentially representations of
all that is wrong with the world because rather than promoting the idea of
divine love in society, they cause the considerable restrictions within it
based on doctrinal differences. Thus, salvation can only be achieved through
individual action, which is essential in the advancement of love in such a way
that it becomes one of the sole purposes of human beings. A consequence would
be that evidence of divine power tempered with that of divine love would ensure
that salvation becomes a reality for a considerable number of individuals.
Browning
is an individual who believes in the power of morality. It is an important
belief because he believed in the artists making use of their works to advance
morality. This is fundamental because the process involved artists being able
to undertake the role of social conscience in their societies. Furthermore,
when it came to morality, Browning often made use of biblical allusions to get
his point across to his audience. He seems to advance the need to make sure
that a situation is brought about where society is able to learn from the work
of artists concerning the need to lead moral lives. The achievement of this
goal can be considered fundamental because it shows the artist as not only an
individual who entertains his audience, but also provides them with essential
moral lessons concerning life. Browning sees his role as a poet as a means of
lending society with the knowledge that they need to live morally while at the
same time ensuring that there is the advancement of examples that can be
followed by individuals in their societies. This assumption is also based on
Christian beliefs, which are essential in bringing about the creation of a
society where individuals are able to live with one another not only in peace,
but also make morality the basis of their social environments. In this
situation, religion plays a significant role because it ensures that there is a
promotion of the power of morality in such a way that helps individuals come up
with ways through which they can be able to support one another while at the
same time maintaining high moral values.
Among
the most significant issues that Browning deals with in his works is are love
and knowledge. These are extremely important topics, especially considering
that many individuals often seek one or the other, and it shows that throughout
history, they have been fundamental human subjects. Knowledge is considered to
be the means though which individuals seek to advance themselves in such a way
that they are able to learn more concerning their environments (Tate 196).
Love, on the other hand, is the feeling of affection that individuals have for
one another and it is for the most part based on the unconditional positive
feelings that individuals have for others other than themselves. The question
of whether to pursue one or another is seen through the manner in which
individuals find themselves in a bind because they have difficulty choosing one
or the other. However, Browning seems to be of the opinion that individuals who
seek knowledge tend to end up in difficult situations because once they begin
the process, they are not able to stop. The result is that they bring about
their own destruction by the knowledge that they seek to desperately. Love,
because of its unconditional nature, can be considered a means through which
people can be able to develop the positive feelings that they need to ensure
that there is the establishment of an environment where they are comfortable
and in harmony with others. Loves unconditional nature is essential in the
creation of strong bonds between individuals which ensure that they are able to
look out for one another. It makes individuals think beyond themselves, unlike
knowledge which can be considered a destructive force if not brought under
control swiftly.
“Porphyria’s
Lover” is a poem that seems to discuss love and the manner through which
without it, the situation can end up leading to brutal situations. This poem
begins with the persona describing his lover. This description is extremely
important in developing an understanding of the persona’s attitude towards his
lover and the manner through which their love has developed. However, in the
end, the person strangles his lover in the most brutal manner, essentially
using her own blond hair (Browning and Sweeney 3).
The poem is an extremely powerful testament of the situation where individuals
conduct extremely evil acts in the name of love. The failure to understand the
true meaning of love is the root cause of the evil that takes place in this
poem and this is to such an extent that it leads the persona into a very dark
place. The tone of the poem show that potential that the world has to descend
into evil if the power of morality is not applied and it makes the audience
think more about their own lives and their potential to conduct great evil if
they do not adhere to the moral code that is taught in Christianity. The manner
through which the persona describes his love and then ends up murdering her is
a sign of the corruption that is prevalent in the world because his actions at
the end show him to be an extremely evil person who is not restricted by moral
concerns. The lack of a moral compass among human beings because of the
corruption of or non-observance of religious teachings can be considered the
reason behind the persona’s actions against his lover.
Another
poem that touches on the corruption of human nature as well as that of the
Church is “The Bishop Orders His Tomb”. This is a poem that seeks to show the
manner through which the clergy has descended to the level of promoting their
own interests over those of their flock. The title of the poem shows the Bishop
as being an extremely vain man because he orders for a tomb to be built for him
(Nafchi, Mirzayee and Zadeh 229).
It is obvious that this project will involve the use of church funds, which can
be put to better use through helping the poor in society. It is essential to
understand that the clergymen have to lead by example and Browning, through his
poem, shows that the Bishop is an individual who completely goes against his
calling to such an extent that he ends up choosing the promotion of his own
interests over undertaking the responsibilities that have been given to him as
a leader of the Church (Wong 568).
This action is a sign of the greater problem that can be found in the Church as
a whole, because it shows clergymen in an extremely bad light. These
individuals are shown be greedy to such an extent that they fail to observe
their vows of poverty and instead seek to achieve earthly goals. These goals
are extremely important for these individuals, as exemplified by the Bishop; a
sign that the Church has essentially deviated from its purpose and has instead
become a means through which clergymen can be able to control considerable
wealth while at the same time achieving their personal ambitions.
“Fra
Lippo Lippi” is a poem by Browning that essentially seeks to show the
considerable power that poets have over the various human subjects that they
seek to write about. This poem addresses the issue of corruption in the Church
as well as the hypocrisy that goes with it. It is essential to note that the
poem makes the point of addressing the excesses of the Church through the use
of such aspects of regular life as sex and money (Nafchi, Mirzayee and Zadeh 227).
The setting, which is in a dark alley, is highly symbolic of the manner through
which the Church, rather than being the source of light, has become a place of
darkness. The darkness is symbolic of the corruption of the Church, which has
failed to honour its task as the defender of the faith and has instead led to
the advancement of a perspective where it is an active player in the corruption
of the temporal world. This failure to accomplish its duties leads to a
situation where the Church has essentially become corrupt, as seen in the
description of the brothel in the alley which symbolises the Church. The Church
has essentially become a source of corruption where it seeks such temporal
things as money, which it does not use for the benefit of all Christians, and
instead is used for the benefit of the clergy.
The
Church has essentially become a means to achieve swift wealth and power within
society. This is an idea that is shown in the poems discussed above and it
leads to the conclusion that members of the clergy are essentially power-hungry
individuals who feel that they have the means through which to ensure that they
advance their own interests. The selfishness of these individuals can be seen
through the god-like characteristics that they adopt, especially when it comes
to such issues as the use of expensive regalia in order to impress the masses.
The masses are made to believe that the people who hold power in the Church are
above them and that they are essentially the representatives of God on earth. A
consequence is that these individuals end up using their positions to advance
their own power in competition with temporal powers. The splendours seen in the
Church and their use by those in power within it shows that there is a lot of
corruption. The people in power within the Church have essentially failed to
ensure that they pursue the vows of poverty in line with the teachings of
Christ, and this is the reason why Browning seems to make plain that they are
nothing more than power-hungry individuals.
In
conclusion, Browning’s position concerning religion can be considered a very
challenging subject. His varying views when it came to religion throughout his
life may have come about because of the need to better understand the
connection between it and the lives that individuals led in their societies. In
this paper, there has been an analysis of the subject through an assessment of
his life experiences as well as a number of his works. Browning is an
individual who shows signs of having a belief that religion is an essential
aspect of society because it leads individuals to achieve a level of morality.
It is through the power of morality that they are able to clearly see how the
world around them works and the need to advance positive values.
Works
Cited
Browning, Robert, and
Matthew Sweeney. Porphyria's Lover.
ProQuest LLC, 2004. Print.
Gale,
Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for John
Donne's" Song". Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016. Print.
Nafchi,
Asghar Moulavi, Mitra Mirzayee, and Morteza Sobhani Zadeh. "Robert
Browning: A Dramatic Monologue Marvel." International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences 63 (2015):
225-32. Print.
Steward,
PA. "The Religious Faith in the Victorian Age." Ashvamegh... the literary flight! 2.19 (2016). Print.
Suzuki,
Rieko. "‘What Was All This except the Lesson of Life?’: Browning’s Fifine
at the Fair and Shelley." The
Keats-Shelley Review 30.1 (2016): 63-69. Print.
Tate,
Gregory. "Infinite Movement: Robert Browning and the Dramatic
Travelogue." Victorian Poetry 52.2
(2014): 185-203. Print.
Turner,
Katie. "Professor Marchbanks English 21 16 April 2004 Tennyson and
Browning: Providential Perspectives."
(2004). Print.
Wong, Amy R. "Town Talk and the Cause Célèbre
of Robert Browning’s the Ring and the Book." Modern Philology 113.4 (2016): 550-72. Print.