Sordello

A book-length poem that caused great consternation when it first appeared in 1840, 'Sordello' became a byword for poetic difficulty, both because of its unfamiliar subject-matter (as now, few people had a grasp of the arcana of Italian medieval politics), but also because of Browning's verse style. His language is here impacted, with the reader needing to be alert to follow the twists and turns of the narrative. 'Sordello' is an important work, and crucial in Browning's development. It is a...