In the star, in the stone, in the flesh, in the soul & the cloud.”
Browning did not conceive of God as a cruel and tyrannical being unmindful of the lot of the creative universe, or a sinister intelligence bent on punishing mankind. He conceived of God as a benignant and sympathetic power helping men in their endeavors if they reposed faith in Him and His mercy:
“God made all the creatures and gave them
Our love and our fear
We and they are His children
Our family here.”
Browning’s philosophy of life, evident in many of his poems, is based upon his faith in immortality. He never believed that death brings the end of the divine spark irradiating human life. God is the potter and the soul is the clay. Both of them endure forever. This faith of the poet is expressed in “Rabbi Ben Ezra”:
“Fool! All that is at all,
Lasts ever, past recall;”
Earth changes, but thy soul and God stand sure
Time’s wheel runs back or stops: Potter & clay endure.”
[Rabbi Ben Ezra: Robert Browning]
The earthly life is a period of trial, testing and preparation for the future life is central to Browning’s optimistic philosophy of life. The earthly life is necessarily imperfect:
“On the earth the broken arcs: in the heaven a perfect round.”
[Abt Vogler: Robert Browning]
Though imperfect Browning earnestly believed that the world with all its glories and triumphs, its joys and fears, is a fitting place for man’s actions and activities. Browning was not an ascetic who shunned the world, nor across grained man to regard the universe as a vale of sorrow and tears, “Where but to think is to be full of sorrow”, “Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes,/Or new love pine at them beyond tomorrow.” [Ode to a Nightingale: John Keats] He had a genuine interest in the world and human life, which he considered to be real and good, for he found many things that were good in it.
Optimism is a philosophy, a considered judgment on life. Often though not necessarily, associated with happiness, which is mainly a matter of temperament. Fra Lippo Lippi’s philosophy, his optimistic judgment on life, is summed up in his belief that:
“This world’s no blot for us,
Nor blank—it means intensely, and means good,
To find its meaning is my meat and drink.”
[Fra Lippo Lippi: Robert Browning]
Although Lippo is a dramatic character, Browning’s own voice and attitude to life speak through him, eloquent in every touch of delighted description of nature, of human beauty, or of the man-made scene. Again in the same poem we have another statement, recognizing the goodness of the world---
“The world and life’s too long to pass for a dream.”
[Fra Lippo Lippi: Robert Browning]
“Andrea del Sarto” is a poem which has to be viewed in a wider context than the special one of the artist’s life and activity, for it expresses an important aspect of Browning’s philosophy. In posing the questions “what is success?” “What is failure?” and exploring the reality rather than the appearance of each, the poet is envisaging the life of not only the creative artist but of men in general. In this poem Browning emphasizes the necessity of keeping high ideals in one’s life. He should set his goal as high as possible even though it may be impossible to attain in this life:
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed disgrace,
Or what’s a Heaven for?”
[Andrea del Sarto: Robert Browning]
says the unhappy Andrea del Sarto, who realizes he has failed because he has set his goal too low. Success, in the world’s sense, may in the light of eternity be failure; failure, in the world’s sense, may be lasting success. Man is judged by God by his aspirations, his noble ideals, and his efforts to achieve success in life. In God’s view success is not the yardstick to judge a man’s earthly life. A man who has failed in a noble struggle is likely to be placed on a higher pedestal in the kingdom of God as compared to the man who aspires to gain little and succeeds in achieving that little in his life. This faith that man’s success would be judged not by achievements only but by his efforts and endeavors too, is voiced fervently in “Rabbi Ben Ezra”:
“But all, the worlds’ coarse thumb
And finger failed to plumb,
So passed in making up the main account,
All instincts immature,
All purposes unsure,
That weighed not as his work, yet swelled the man’s account.”
[Rabbi Ben Ezra: Robert Browning]
Browning believes that on earth we have the “broken arc” but in heaven there is “the perfect round”. But despite earth’s—and man’s---imperfections, man’s highest duty is to strive toward perfection of himself. In “Rabbi Ben Ezra” comes the counsel:
“As it was better, youth
Should strive, through acts uncouth,
Towards making.”
[Rabbi Ben Ezra: Robert Browning]
Life is a probation . life follows life . man’s soul is immortal death need not terrify us. As Browning faithfully voices in “Rabbi Ben Ezra”:
“So, better, age, exempt
From strife, should know, than tempt
Further. Thou waitedst age: wait death, nor be afraid!”
[Rabbi Ben Ezra: Robert Browning]
Imperfects and failures are man’s glory, because they prophesy the future bliss. What man fails to achieve in this world would be attained by him in the next--- that was Browning’s hope and faith as he in “A Grammarian’s Funeral” states:
“…What’s time? Leave now for dogs and apes!
“Man has forever.”
[A Grammarian’s Funeral: Robert Browning]
Such is the optimistic philosophy of Browning, based on his invincible faith, not founded on any arguments for optimism, nor on opinions, but on life which is the work of God. The pronouncements on life are preponderantly sober, but the sky is lighted by courage and hope and faith.
### Browning rejected the idea of asceticism and believed that this life should be lived to the full, like “Fra Lippo Lippi” he believed in “the value and significance of flesh”, and he causes Rabbi Ben Ezra to advise:
“Let us not always say,
“Spite of this flesh today
I strove, made head, gained ground upon the whole!”
As the bird wings and sings,
Let us cry” All good things
Are ours, nor soul helps flesh more, now, than flesh helps soul!”
[Rabbi Ben Ezra: Robert Browning]
