Browning and the Arabesque

Abstract

The arabesque is a central figure of the Renaissance, a time of cross-cultural pollination. Through analogy, symmetry, and naming, Browning weaves an arabesque tapestry across cultures, centuries, and borders. At the core of the arabesque lies the ‘Arab’s wisdom,’ which is the centerpiece to Browning’s infatuation with the East. The earliest traces of Browning’s East occur in his 1824 Incondita volume, Browning’s ‘training ground’ for more extensive Eastern literary adventures. In Paracelsus, Browning’s first cast of positively portrayed Oriental characters (Avicenna, Rhasis, Arab, Jew) appear. In Sordello, Browning exhorts his readers to learn ‘Arab lore,’ since it ‘Holds the stars’ secret.’ Additionally, the Arabic names that recur arabesque-like throughout his work are important to Browning’s East, especially within the context of his poetics of heteroglossia.