Robert Browning

Born in Camberwell, London, on May 7, 1812, he became one of the leading poets of the Victorian age. Britannica and Poetry Foundation both note his gift for dramatic monologue, a form he used to reveal character, motive, and moral unease through a single speaking voice.

His early career included long poems and verse dramas, but many readers know him best for pieces such as My Last Duchess, Porphyria's Lover, and later The Ring and the Book. He married fellow poet Elizabeth Barrett in 1846, and the two lived for years in Italy, where they became one of literature's most famous couples.

Although some of his poetry was once considered difficult, his reputation grew strongly later in life and has lasted ever since. He died in Venice on December 12, 1889, and was buried in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.