Paper Summary:

This paper examines the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, two English poets who wrote during the Romantic and Victorian eras, respectively. Shelley's, "A Song: 'Men of England,'" and Browning's, "The Cry of the Children," discuss the oppression of the working classes in England during their respective eras. This paper illustrates the way Shelley and Browning are both similar in the way they use critical analysis, calls to action and appeals to their respective audiences; while also illustrating the way Shelley and Browning differ in their types of audiences and the way they appeal to readers in different ways.

From the Paper:

"English poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, share more than just their nationality. However, the two poets never lived in England at the same time. Shelley wrote during England's Romantic period of literature, while Browning wrote during the Victorian period. Although the poets experienced life in England at different times in history and composed their works within distinctly different literary movements, Shelley's and Browning's poetry share a profound connection of theme. In Shelley's "A Song: 'Men of England'" and Browning's "The Cry of the Children," both writers defend the working classes of England during their respective time periods. Shelley and Browning both use the theme of the oppression of the working class in their poetry to search for an answer to the problems faced by English workers."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. "The Cry of the Children." Greenblatt. Norton Anthology Vol. E. 1079-82.
• Greenblatt, Stephen, et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Vol. D-E. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.
• Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "A Song: 'Men of England.'" Greenblatt. Norton Anthology Vol. D. 770- 71.

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