The life of the great poet Elizabeth Barrett, and her marriage to Robert Browning, were brought to the screen in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street." The original movie was made in 1934 and remade in 1957. Elizabeth was the eldest of 12 children, and had the early talent of writing an epic poem at the age of 12. Her schooling took place at home, as was the prevailing custom. The tragedy of her frail health emerged when she was just 14. The doctors treated her with morphine, which took a further toll on her lung disease.
The poet Robert Browning took notice of Elizabeth's work, and their letters sparked a romance. However, Elizabeth's inflexible father thought Browning wasn't good enough for his daughter. Elizabeth and Robert eloped and had no contact with her father again. The Brownings moved to Florence, Italy and had a son, Robert Wideman Browning. Lovers of poetry appreciate "How Do I Love Thee" as Elizabeth's best-known work.
http://www.poetsmeet.com/2009/05/16/elizabeth-barrett-browning.html
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