Author: Robert Browning (1812–1889) was an eminent English poet of the Victorian era, known for his ambitious and dramatic lyrics and monologues. He had an evangelical upbringing, and had a home-grown love for learning. His wife of many years, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, was an equally revered poet—perhaps even better—though her career was much shorter due to a chronic illness.

Overview

Ferishtah’s Fancies (1884) is a small collection of twelve poems set in Persia. It was originally intended as a single poem in twelve parts, but their cohesion is weak enough that it seems fitting to speak of it rather as twelve poems. The frame of the story is a series of dialogues between Ferishtah (Persian: angel) and others, with Ferishtah clearly speaking for Browning himself.

Orientalism

This collection’s main draw for readers aside from the author is its Persian setting. The book was published at the height of Orientalism in Europe. The book is also full of loosely oriental places, animals, and names. These come across as half-baked to anyone versed in the Near East; I am not sure, for instance, that camels are beasts of burden in Khorasan. I am also not sure what is accomplished by alluding to Fomalhaut and Mushtari (star names).

In my opinion, the many oriental allusions serve merely to distract from the book’s poetic themes. Ferishtah’s Fancies also has a few references to Job, which Browning evidently considered to have taken place in Persia.

In Persian phrase, ‘Does Job fear God for nought?’
Job’s creatureship is not abjured, thou fool!

Robert Browning, “Two Camels”, in Ferishtah’s Fancies

The biblical phrase comes from Satan’s dialogue with God (Job 1:9). But setting Job’s Book in Persia is not even one of the widely proposed locations for the book, which are Aram and Edom. A few other fringe ideas exist, the most popular of which is Arabia (sometimes Dhofar).

Parabolic Teaching

Browning uses a number of images or “parables”, which is probably the justification for the title, Ferishtah’s “fancies”. They are certainly fanciful, and lack grounding—perhaps the author thought such hypothetical absurdities to be reminiscent of the Near East. “Two Camels”, for instance, revolves around one camel who fasts in austerity and the author who feasts that he may complete his duty. “A Pillar at Sebzevar” turns on a parable of a child seeing an orange and wishing it to be the sun, as a parable for our ingratitude to God.

“Shah Abbas”, perhaps my favorite in the collection, is a dialogue about trust and implausibilities.

Hast heard of Ishak son of Absal? Ay,
The very same we heard of, ten years since,
Slain in the wars: he comes back safe and sound, —
Though twenty soldiers saw him die at Yezdt, —

Robert Browning, “Shah Abbas”

This poem has many such fictions within fictions, and they serve to move the dialogue forward. The dialogue is also less one-sided as the author offers point and counterpoint. Many of Browning’s other poems take the form of extended monologues.

Problem of Evil

It is no surprise that Browning alludes frequently to Job; he is ever preoccupied with the problem of the compatibility of evil and God’s goodness. But Browning treats that theme much better in other poems (e.g. Christmas-Eve and Christmas Day). In a few passages in Ferishtah’s Fancies, love is treated as antithetical to knowledge. This felt to me like Ferishtah/Browning was sweeping his difficulties under the rug. Browning at his best goes much deeper than what we see here.

Conclusion

Ferishtah’s Fancies is a minor book among Browning’s many works, and comes near the end of his canon of works. Despite his early fame, Browning’s popularity fluctuated greatly throughout his lifetime. This little collection sold decently due to European fixation on the “Orient”, but in my opinion, it does not hold a candle to his other books (or those of his wife, Elizabeth).