Elizabeth Barrett Browning called her most famous collection of poems "Sonnets from the Portuguese" as a strategic way to veil the deeply personal content of the poems, which expressed her love for Robert Browning. The title suggested that the sonnets were translations from Portuguese, creating a layer of distance and privacy around her intimate emotions. This misdirection allowed her to explore her feelings without directly exposing her vulnerabilities. Additionally, the term "Portuguese" was a loving nickname Robert Browning used for Elizabeth, referring to her distinctive dark complexion, adding a personal and affectionate dimension to the title. The choice of title also gave the work an air of mystery and literary prestige, as translations often carried that note.
More specifically, Elizabeth initially planned to title the collection "Sonnets translated from the Bosnian," but Robert Browning suggested that she claim the source was Portuguese, likely because of his admiration for the Portuguese poet Camões and his own affectionate nickname for Elizabeth as "my little Portuguese".
Thus, the title serves both as a protective disguise for her intimate sonnets about their courtship and as a tribute to their unique personal relationship.