Evelyn Hope by Robert Browning - Stanza-wise Explanation

The poem "Evelyn Hope" written by Robert Browning narrates a story of a hyper-optimistic narrator who choose not to grieve for her just dead beloved but plans his meeting with her in their next life. The poem is a testimony to Browning's lofty optimism. Equally unusual is the narrator who is aged three times his unrequited love. She didn't know him while she was alive. His excessive hopeful nature somewhat feels unrealistic.

Browning's portrayal of the narrator resembles his other poems such as "My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" where the narrator is mentally unstable and paranoid. Death is again there too of beloved's. Although here, in this poem the narrator talks philosophically about life and gives her dead beloved a leaf as a memento to remember him and his love for him in the next life.

Stanza 1
The narrator begins the poem by informing the readers that the eponymous Evelyn Hope, a young girl is dead and he visits her. He sits by her dead body for an hour. He observes her personal belongings like her bed and bookshelf. He plucks a Germanium flower in the glass which also seem to die like its patron. But the narrator doesn't feel any major change there except the shutters of the window are completely shut and barely two streak of light passing through the door hinges.

Stanza 2
He reveals that at the time of her death, she was sixteen years old. Then he says that she might not have heard his name. Her age was too young to fall in love and as evident, she might have her dreams and aims. He loved her but due to her young age, he couldn't propose her. She had little care from anyone, her shoulders held enough duties and expectations. And now he finds her quiet lying on the bed till God's hand revive her again.

Stanza 3
Then he asks if it's too late to propose her. He praises her innocence and chastity. He realises that she is too good for him, her horoscope shows her good stars. He attributes the Hindu philosophy which says that a human body is composed of five elements (Panchtatva) - air, water, fire, sky and earth. He also remarks that just because of their age difference, they could never embrace each other. He is aware that they are nothing to each other. They are mere mortals on earth, their existence is not permanent.

Stanza 4
He believes that God has created beings for a noble purpose. His creations are meant to reward the other (living beings) with love. He confesses that he still love her. It doesn't matter to the narrator that he couldn't realise his love in this life, it is mere a delay because he will consummate his love in the next life. When he transcend from this world, he will find her in another. Before he come to get her in the later lives, he will learn about new things and forget past life's happening till then.

Stanza 5
He is ardent believer in fulfilling his love in the future. In their future life when they will at last meet, he wonders he will still long "that body soul so pure and gay". He shall discover the same "amber hair" and geranium-like red lips like at the time of her death. He imagines their rendezvous and love-making in the next birth. 

Stanza 6
He would tell about his past experiences and revelations, the times he gave up on himself and the accounts of his winning the respect of many men. During this wandering, he would have missed only a single thing that has the potential to fulfill his soul's complete joy i.e Evelyn Hope. He would have devoutly missed her and wanted back into his life. He asks himself about the issue that prevents him from uniting with her and wishes to solve it.

Stanza 7
He reveals that he loved her all this time and his heart is full of his love for her to the brink of it. It can hold that young smile of hers and her golden hair in it. He hush her to make sure she sleeps peacefully and gives her a leaf in her "sweet cold" hand (oxymoron). He bids her goodbye by telling her that when she wakes up in the next birth, she will learn through this leaf of her lover's immortal love and wait.