SOURCE: Gibson, Mary Ellis. “The Manuscripts of Robert Browning, Sr.: A Source for The Ring and the Book.” Studies in Browning and His Circle 13 (1985): 11-19.

In the following essay, Gibson identifies the notebooks and letters of Browning's father as viable sources for The Ring and the Book.

In describing the poet's early education, most biographies of Robert Browning begin with the enthusiasms and historical interests of his father. The elder Browning's love for antiquarian books, his enlivening of the classics by conducting the Trojan wars in the school yard, and his penchant for odd rhymes as childhood mnemonic devices have all been duly noted. More elusive are examples of the father's impact on his son's poetry. Indeed, to a considerable extent the influence seems to have flowed the other way, with Browning, Sr., attempting his own version of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” and illustrating with sketches some...