Robert Browning and Charles Dickens were both born in 1812: Dickens on the 7th of February and Browning on the 7th of May of that year. Browning and Dickens became good friends. The first paragraph of an article in Wikipedia says this about Browning: “…an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.” The first paragraph of the Wikipedia article on Charles Dickens says: “…an English writer and social critic who is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and the creator of some of the world’s most memorable fictional characters. During his lifetime Dickens’s works enjoyed unprecedented popularity and fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was fully recognized by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to enjoy an enduring popularity among the general reading public.”

For more information on the worldwide celebration of Dickens’ life, novels, short stories, films of Dickens novels, and festivals and outdoor events dealing with Dickens and his works, go to the Dickens 2012 web site: www.dickens2012.org/

“God bless us, every one” (Tiny Tim, A Christmas Carol)