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A review by aurodon
Aurora Leigh and Other Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
2.0
Firstly, I only read Aurora Leigh, not the additional pieces in the book.
EBB begins Aurora Leigh with the posit that epic poetry isn't dead. While I (a) agree that epic poetry is still wonderful to read and (b) see how the form of poetry allowed her to be more emotive than prose might, I have to say that I think the experiment is a failure. Epic poetry is given to action - to battles, hero racing against foe, to Odysseus and Beowulf. It's not given to modern stories like Aurora Leigh, and in particular it's not a good form to periodically go off on tangents (however much their moral explorations are relevant to the main character's narrative) as EBB does.
So while I appreciated EBB's storyline and, to a degree, her storytelling, the main premise of her book - and the resulting slog through what could otherwise have been an enjoyable, easy read - caused me more frustration than anything else. I love poetry - but like all art forms, it needs to be used well by the artist.
EBB begins Aurora Leigh with the posit that epic poetry isn't dead. While I (a) agree that epic poetry is still wonderful to read and (b) see how the form of poetry allowed her to be more emotive than prose might, I have to say that I think the experiment is a failure. Epic poetry is given to action - to battles, hero racing against foe, to Odysseus and Beowulf. It's not given to modern stories like Aurora Leigh, and in particular it's not a good form to periodically go off on tangents (however much their moral explorations are relevant to the main character's narrative) as EBB does.
So while I appreciated EBB's storyline and, to a degree, her storytelling, the main premise of her book - and the resulting slog through what could otherwise have been an enjoyable, easy read - caused me more frustration than anything else. I love poetry - but like all art forms, it needs to be used well by the artist.