Publisher's Synopsis
Browning's reputation in his own day has been extensively discussed; this study considers the influence of his work on 20th-century literature. O'Neill relates Browning's turn-of-the-century reputation to the development of professional literary research in American, British and Commonwealth universities, embracing approaches which range from "Poetry of Barbarism" to recent praise for Browning's anticipation of contemporary problems in literary theory.;This study also traces responses to Browning's famous courtship of, and marriage to, Eizabeth Barrett; the effects of the scandal over the publication of their love letters; and the recent interest of feminists in Browning's life and letters. This discussion, in turn, reflects on the important role of biography in the changing emphases of literary critics.
