The matter, the spirit of the poem were his own, and the verse-movement was his own.

Had Browning been an imitator, the first thing he would have imitated would have been the sweet and rippling movement of Shelley's melodies.

But the form of his verse, such as it was, arose directly out of his own nature and was as original as his matter.

Tennyson grew into originality, Browning leaped into it; born, not of other poets, but of his own will.
He begat himself.

It had been better for his art, so far as technical excellence is concerned, had he studied and imitated at first the previous masters.