Men and Women is a collection of fifty-one poems by Robert Browning published in two volumes in 1855. Many are dramatic monologues, in which a character speaks and reveals himself without meaning to, such as the painter Andrea del Sarto or the monk Fra Lippo Lippi. It is now considered Browning's finest book.
Dramatic monologues
In a dramatic monologue, a single speaker addresses a silent listener. Browning's speakers expose their hopes, excuses and failures in their own words.
This technique allowed him to explore many different minds, from artists and scholars to lovers and tyrants.
Painters
Andrea del Sarto, called the faultless painter, speaks to his wife and admits that his technical perfection lacks the soul of greater artists.
Fra Lippo Lippi defends a painting that shows real life and human beauty, against those who want only religious abstraction.
Other poems
The collection also includes Love Among the Ruins, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, A Toccata of Galuppi's and One Word More, dedicated to his wife.
Many of the poems were written in Italy, where Browning lived with Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Anecdotes
A poor reception
The collection sold badly and puzzled critics. Browning's reputation only rose in the 1860s, with Dramatis Personae and The Ring and the Book.
One Word More
The last poem, One Word More, is addressed to Elizabeth, and is one of the few poems in which Browning speaks in his own voice.
Frequently asked questions
How many poems does Men and Women contain?
Fifty-one.
What is a dramatic monologue?
A poem spoken by a character who reveals himself to a silent listener.
When was the collection published?
In 1855.