Read and listen to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poignant poem: "If You Must Love Me"

Elisabeth Barrett was born in 1806 in Durham. She lived a privileged childhood with her eleven siblings. The father aveva fatto fortuna thank you a delle piantagioni di zucchero in Jamaica e aveva comprato una grande tenuta a Malvern Hills, dove Elizabeth trascorreva il time andando a cavallo e allestendo spettacoli teatrali con la sua family.

Elizabeth, not yet grown up, had already readMilton,ShakespeareisDante. All’età di dodici anni scrisse un poema epico. La sua passione per i classici e i metafisici fu bilanciata da un forte spirito religioso.

Fra il 1832 e il 1837, a seguito di dissesti finanziari, la famiglia Barrett traslocò tre volte per poi stabilirsi a London. In 1838 the collection was publishedThe Seraphim and Other Poems. Nello stesso periodo, Elizabeth Barrett ebbe gravi problemi di salute che la resero invalida agli arti inferiori e la costrinsero a restare in home e a frequentare solo due o tre persone oltre ai familiari.

In 1844, the release of thepoemsmade her one of the most popular writers of the day. Reading her collection of poems prompted the poetRobert Browning a scriverle per manifestare il proprio apprezzamento. Nel 1845 si incontrarono e, poco dopo, essendo il padre di Elizabeth fieramente contrario alle loro nozze, si sposarono di nascosto e fuggirono insieme a Florence, where they had a son,pen. In Florence they resided inSan Felice Square, in an apartment in Palazzo Guidi which today has become the museum ofCasa Guididedicated to their memory.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning later publishedSonnets from the Portuguese(1850),Home Drive Windows(1851),Aurora Leigh(1856) ePoems before Congress(collection of his poems, 1860).

She was a great proponent ofresurrectionItalian, who accurately described, especially the events of 1848-1849 inHome Drive Windows. She valued a lotCamillo Benso conte di Cavour e si rattristò per la sua death.

As her health worsened, she died in Florence in 1861. She is buried atEnglish Cemetery in Florence. (source © Wikipedia)


If you have to love me
If you must love me 4

Let's read together

If you must love me, for nothing else
except for love.
Never say:
t’amo per il smile,
for the look,
the kindness of speaking,
the way of thinking so in line with mine,
that made me serene one day.
These are all things
that can change, beloved,
in sé o per te, un amore
così sorto potrebbe poi die.
E non amarmi per pietà di tears
that bathe my face.
Può scordare il cry chi ebbe a lungo il tuo conforto,
and lose you.
Soltanto per amore amami – e per sempre, per l’eternità.

Let's listen together

Bedtime stories
Bedtime stories
If you have to love me
If you must love me 2
/
Avatar of Remigio Ruberto

Hi, I'm Remigio Ruberto, father of Eugenio. The love that binds me to Eugenio is timeless and spaceless.

Leave a comment