The Genius of Aurora Leigh Elizabeth Barrett Browning uses multiple metaphors and elaborate comparisons to create vivid images that actively engage her audience in her novel in verse Aurora Leigh. The first pages of this work quickly establishes extremely effective stylistic images and quickly captures the attention of readers, making it difficult to be distracted from reading this famous work. It begins with the metaphor, which compares writing this novel to improving oneself "as when you paint your portrait for a friend" (Longman p. 1863; l. 5) and continues to connect the past and present for that Friend. The images are so real that the reader quickly becomes completely fascinated by the world Browning is describing. Just twelve lines into the work, he masterfully creates a tender and calming scene of a child smiling in his sleep, thanks to his understanding of the infinite nature of life. Then broadening the view of the scene to include the watchful mother outside the nursery, calming the family to ensure the child's continued peaceful rest....