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Browning's Treatment of Love
Browning's Treatment of Love
and Love
Robert Browning is an optimist, and as an optimist, he is a moralist
and a religious teacher holding a very distinct place among the writers of
the Victorian Age. What we call Brownings philosophy is not actually a
philosophy of strictly technical sense of the term. Browning seeks optimism
in any situation of life, preaches universality of soul and advocates God.
Brownings optimism is clear in the very style of writing a poem that
he picks up his central character in crisis or in some critical situation,
then this crisis reaches the climax and ultimately resolved and he ends his
poem with optimism. Such a poem is The Last Ride Together which stands
for optimism, treatment of spiritualistic love where materialistic love is not
seen, or is ignored.
In this poem the rejected lover considers his failure to gain his
beloveds love to be written and needs must be; even bless his beloveds
name in pride and thankfulness and; realizes what need to strive with a
life awry? However, he claims for a last ride together. Eventually she gives
her consent; and the lover regards it as a great achievement against the
past hopes of their getting united.
Browning looks at the failure in this world in a very unconventional
way. The speaker in The Last Ride Together holds that some of his desires
must be left unfulfilled on this earth so that they can be accomplished in the
next life; it is hope of this future happiness which helps him face death
readily.
Earth being so good, would heaven seem best?
Now, Heaven and she are beyond this ride.
Thus there must be gap between aspiration and achievement in human
life.
Browning preaches immortality of soul. In The Last Ride
Together the speaker perceives that through their death his and his
beloveds souls will enter into eternity and their ride will continue
eternally. They will achieve in the next world what they have failed to
achieve.
Therefore, we can conclude that Browning speaks out the strongest
words of optimistic faith in his Victorian Age of scepticism and pessimism.