Aurora Leigh

"Aurora Leigh" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a story that blends poetry with a novel-like adventure, tackling big topics like what women can do, art, love, and problems in society, all from Aurora's point of view. The story is about Aurora Leigh figuring out who she is as a woman, a poet, and an artist in a time when society often tried to hold women back. We start with Aurora Leigh thinking about her childhood, remembering losing her mom and not having a mother figure to guide her. Her father, who was English, and an Italian nurse raised her, and she talks about how her early years were spent in a lonely place that helped her grow her smarts and imagination. Aurora feels strongly about her memories of her mother and the sadness that her father carries. This sad beginning sets the scene for Aurora's later challenges as she grows up, dealing with what society expects of her and her dreams of being a female poet. The battles she faces inside, like wanting personal happiness, doing what her family expects, and following her artistic dreams, become important themes as she makes her own identity.