Love among the Ruins - Robert Browning
A Lyrical Reflection on Past Grandeur Yielding to Present Devotion
Love among the Ruins
by Robert Browning
Where the quiet-coloured end of evening smiles
Miles and miles
On the solitary pastures where our sheep
Half-asleep
Tinkle homeward thro' the twilight, stray or stop
As they crop—
Was the site once of a city great and gay
(So they say)
Of our country's very capital, its prince
Ages since
Held his court in, gathered councils, wielding far
Peace or war.
Now,—the country does not even boast a tree,
As you see,
To distinguish slopes of verdure, certain rills
From the hills
Intersect and give a name to (else they run
Into one),
Where the domed and daring palace shot its spires
Up like fires
O'er the hundred-gated circuit of a wall
Bounding all,
Made of marble, men might march on nor be prest,
Twelve abreast.
And such plenty and perfection, see, of grass
Never was!
Such a carpet as this summer-time o'er-spreads
And embeds
Every vestige of the city, guessed alone,
Stock or stone—
Where a multitude of men breathed joy and woe
Long ago;
Lust of glory pricked their hearts up, dread of shame
Struck them tame;
And that glory and that shame alike, the gold
Bought and sold.
Now,—the single little turret that remains
On the plains,
By the caper overrooted, by the gourd
Overscored,
While the patching houseleek's head of blossom winks
Through the chinks—
Marks the basement whence a tower in ancient time
Sprang sublime,
And a burning ring, all round, the chariots traced
As they raced,
And the monarch and his minions and his dames
Viewed the games.
And I know—while thus the quiet-coloured eve
Smiles to leave
To their folding, all our many tinkling fleece
In such peace,
And the slopes and rills in undistinguished grey
Melt away—
That a girl with eager eyes and yellow hair
Waits me there
In the turret whence the charioteers caught soul
For the goal,
When the king looked, where she looks now, breathless, dumb
Till I come.
But he looked upon the city, every side,
Far and wide,
All the mountains topped with temples, all the glades'
Colonnades,
All the causeys, bridges, aqueducts, and then
All the men!
When I do come, she will speak not, she will stand,
Either hand
On my shoulder, give her eyes the first embrace
Of my face,
Ere we rush, ere we extinguish sight and speech
Each on each.
In one year they sent a million fighters forth
South and North,
And they built their gods a brazen pillar high
As the sky,
Yet reserved a thousand chariots in full force—
Gold, of course.
Oh heart! oh blood that freezes, blood that burns!
Earth's returns
For whole centuries of folly, noise and sin!
Shut them in,
With their triumphs and their glories and the rest!
Love is best.
In “Love among the Ruins,” Robert Browning contrasts the faded glory of an ancient city with the intimate, living power of love. The poem begins by depicting a quiet pastoral setting—once the site of a mighty empire whose architectural and political heights have now vanished. Amid these ruins, nature reclaims the land where grand events and human ambitions once flourished.
Browning highlights the inevitable transience of earthly power, showing how all the pride and triumph of a powerful civilization is ultimately reduced to rubble. In its place, the poet affirms the significance of human connection through a tender meeting between two lovers. Their devotion becomes a potent force, surpassing even the most illustrious achievements of the fallen city. By situating this tender scene in the literal remains of greatness, Browning underscores that while empires collapse, love persists. The couple’s bond transcends time’s ravages, suggesting that, in the face of impermanence, true human closeness is what truly endures.
The poem’s gentle, almost musical cadence harmonizes with its pastoral imagery, giving “Love among the Ruins” a wistful, meditative quality. Browning weaves themes of nostalgia, ambition, and romance into a narrative poem whose final declaration, “Love is best,” rings with luminous clarity. It is an earnest assertion that no matter the scale of past human achievements, the genuine affection and warmth shared between individuals carries a deeper, more enduring significance.
Key points
• Browning juxtaposes the collapse of human grandeur with the abiding power of love.
• The poem’s tranquil mood and pastoral setting highlight the passing nature of earthly ambition.
• “Love among the Ruins” affirms that intimate bonds can outlast even the mightiest civilizations.
• Through a quietly lyrical voice, Browning celebrates devotion as a timeless, restorative force.
