The poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Browning and Victorian values
I can explain how the Brownings' poems subvert typical Victorian values.
The poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Browning and Victorian values
I can explain how the Brownings' poems subvert typical Victorian values.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Victorian society viewed women as passive and confined them to domestic roles.
- Victorian society had a stigma surrounding sexual freedom and liberation.
- The Brownings were a couple whose marriage challenged Victorian attitudes towards love and relationships.
- Both 'Sonnet 29' and 'Porphyria's Lover' challenge typical attitudes of the Victorian era towards love and marriage.
Keywords
Subvert - to undermine or weaken the power of something, especially an established system
Elope - to secretly run away and get married, often without the consent of parents or family
Propriety - conformity to accepted standards of behaviour or morals; correctness in social conduct
Submissive - willing to conform to the authority or will of others; behaving in a way that follows accepted standards
Victorian era - the historical period in the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901
Common misconception
Knowing that the Brownings were married to each other is an important piece of contextual information.
Although it is relevant to know they were married, it is in linking their own unconventional marriage to the subversive presentation of love and relationships in their poems that the best contextual points can be found.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA 'Love and Relationships' anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
Loading...