Browning's Voices in the Ring and the Book: A Study of Method and Meaning

Too often the vastness of The Ring and the Book has discouraged modern readers, yet it has become increasingly clear that the meaning of this monumental poem rests on its whole design. In this work the author deals with the poem in its entirety to show the culmination of both Browning’s artistic skill and his moral and aesthetic philosophy.

Approaching the whole poem from the point of view of the poet’s role (rather than the “what-happens” approach) this study examines the complex method by which Browning demonstrates how a poet goes about making his audience share his gift of judging human guilt and innocence.

The author discusses some of the main questions that have concerned critics for so long – the problem of Browning’s attitude toward “fact,” the real meaning of his “doctrine of commitment,” and the connection between his optimistic philosophy and his fascination with the role of evil in human affairs.

Professor Sullivan’s argument not only demonstrates convincingly the extent of Browning’s technical achievement in the Ring and the Book, but also casts light on many of his lesser poems by showing how his gradually emerging moral and aesthetic philosophy shaped their meaning. In addition, she clearly refutes the often repeated charges that his poetry lacks a well-defined world-view; the very principle of development—or “evolutionary struggle”—is revealed as what ultimately gives consistency and validity to his work.

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