How do I Love Thee
Elizabeth barrett browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of
sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life !--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Introduction to the poem
Elizabeth Barret Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese is a collection of 44 Petrarchan sonnets. This sonnet How do I Love Thee,being the 43rd sonnet, expresses the courtship between Robert Browning and Elizabeth. The theme of this sonnet is that love is not an earthly concept but an eternal, everlasting thing that lasts well beyond the cold grave. Though it is a Petrarchan sonnet,it violates many of the characteristics of the traditional form.
Petrarchan Sonnet
Petrarch, the Italian humanist and writer developed the Italian sonnet pattern, which is known as the petrarchan sonnet or the Italian sonnet. The original Italian Sonnet divides the poem’s 14 lines into two parts octave and a sestet. The octave (first eight lines) typically introduces the theme or problem using a rhyme scheme of abba, abba. The sestet (last six lines)provides resolution for the poem and rhymes variously, sometimes cde cde or cdc
Summary of octave
The poetess wants to express her love for her husband. Her love for her husband is deep,noble and it transcends space. She wants to measure her love though it is an abstract feeling. With her soul, she tries to measure the depth, breadth and height of her love. The very essence of her existence is to attain salvation and to her, salvation is belonging to her love.
She loves him enough to meet all of his simple needs during the day and also during the night. She loves him just as intensely as men who fight for freedom. She loves him genuinely without any desire for praise. Her love is true and sincere.
Summary of sestet
She even loves him with an intensity of the suffering during times of grief. She loves him with the blind faith of a child. She loves him with a childlike fervour for saints and holiness. She loves him in every breath. She also says that she loves him always, both in happiness and sorrow.
In the concluding lines, the poet says that if God favours then she will continue to love him and also says that even after death her love will remain the same.
Theme of the sonnet 43
1. Love
2. Admiration
3. Identity
4. Mortality
5. Passion
Question and answer
1. “ I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ my soul can reach” , says the poet. Do you find anything illogical to think of logic in poetry? Comment on her attempt to describe the immeasurable nature of her love, by measuring the immeasurable?
The poet loves her husband so intensely that she tries to measure the depth, breadth and height of her love with her soul. Love is an abstract feeling and not a concrete object and therefore it is illogical to think that it can be measured. But, in poetry, imagination is more important than logic. A poet’s imagination cannot be bound by logic. So it can be said that it is illogical to think of logic in poetry. The poet only wants to show nature of love, by measuring the immeasurable. the immeasurable
2. The poet speaks of “everyday’s most quiet need”. Discuss the various possible interpretations.
By “everyday’s most quiet need”, the poet means the simple needs in a person’s daily life. The poet wants the presence of her husband in everything that she does. She wants to take care of him and assist him in his every needs.
3.Treat the poem as a prayer of a devotee before his/her deity. How will your reading of the poem alter?
If the poem is considered as a prayer, then the poet’s love for her husband can be taken as her devotion to her deity. Her devotion is three dimensional which is deep, noble and transcends space.
4. Compare the sonnet with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 in style and treatment.
Shakespear's sonnet 116 glorifies ideal and eternal love which withstand the ravages of time. This sonnet is addressed to a young man whom the poet is emotionally bound to True love is constant and permanent which never alters with the passage of time. Shakespeare uses two metaphors to bring out the nature of true love. First he says that love is an ever fixed mark, a light house that looks on tempest but is never shaken. Then he says that love is like the pole star that guides the wandering ships in the ocean. Time is personified as a reaper carrying a sickle with which he cuts man’s life, looks and possessions. The rhyme scheme used in this sonnet is abab, cdcd, efef, gg. Elizabeth Barret Browning’s sonnet How do I love Thee is a Petrarchan sonnet and it is addressed to her husband. Its theme is that love is not an earthly concept but an eternal, everlasting thing that lasts well beyond the cold grave. She expresses her intense love for her husband. She tries to measure the depth, breadth and height of her love with her soul. Her love is shown in three dimensional, i.e, deep, noble and transcending space. She loves him as genuinely as men who struggle for freedom without expecting any personal gains. She loves him both in happiness and sorrow. If God choose she will continue her love towards her husband even after her death.
Essay
1. Explain the sonnet he also says that her love will continue even after death. How do I love:
The sonnet How do I Love Thee Thee as a love poem is written by the famous Victorian poet Elizabeth Barret Browning. This poem is the 43rd sonner in her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese. The poet addresses the poem to her husband Robert Browning. Love is the most prominent theme of this sonnet. She wants to express her love which is intense and sincere.
The poet deeply loves her husband and she wants to measure her love. Love is not a concrete object but an abstract feeling which can’t be measured. But the poet says that with her soul she can measure the depth, breadth and height of her love. Her love is three dimensional, i.e., deep, noble and that transcends space. The very essence of her existence is to attain salvation and to her, salvation is belonging to her love.
The poet goes on to explain how much she loves her husband. She loves him enough to meet all his simple needs during the day and also during the night. She loves him sincerely as men who struggle for freedom. Her love is so genuine that she does not expect any personal gain from it.
She even loves him with an intensity of the suffering during times of grief. She loves him with the blind faith of a child and her love is so innocent as a child. She loves him with a child like fervour for saints and holiness. Happiness and sorrow do not make any difference in her love for her love is not an earthly concept but it is eternal and sincere.
The poet proclaims that she will continue to love him and also says that she will love him better after death. This sonnet celebrates true love which will go beyond the cold grave.
Elizabeth barrett browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of
sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life !--and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Introduction to the poem
Elizabeth Barret Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese is a collection of 44 Petrarchan sonnets. This sonnet How do I Love Thee,being the 43rd sonnet, expresses the courtship between Robert Browning and Elizabeth. The theme of this sonnet is that love is not an earthly concept but an eternal, everlasting thing that lasts well beyond the cold grave. Though it is a Petrarchan sonnet,it violates many of the characteristics of the traditional form.
Petrarchan Sonnet
Petrarch, the Italian humanist and writer developed the Italian sonnet pattern, which is known as the petrarchan sonnet or the Italian sonnet. The original Italian Sonnet divides the poem’s 14 lines into two parts octave and a sestet. The octave (first eight lines) typically introduces the theme or problem using a rhyme scheme of abba, abba. The sestet (last six lines)provides resolution for the poem and rhymes variously, sometimes cde cde or cdc
Summary of octave
The poetess wants to express her love for her husband. Her love for her husband is deep,noble and it transcends space. She wants to measure her love though it is an abstract feeling. With her soul, she tries to measure the depth, breadth and height of her love. The very essence of her existence is to attain salvation and to her, salvation is belonging to her love.
She loves him enough to meet all of his simple needs during the day and also during the night. She loves him just as intensely as men who fight for freedom. She loves him genuinely without any desire for praise. Her love is true and sincere.
Summary of sestet
She even loves him with an intensity of the suffering during times of grief. She loves him with the blind faith of a child. She loves him with a childlike fervour for saints and holiness. She loves him in every breath. She also says that she loves him always, both in happiness and sorrow.
In the concluding lines, the poet says that if God favours then she will continue to love him and also says that even after death her love will remain the same.
Theme of the sonnet 43
1. Love
2. Admiration
3. Identity
4. Mortality
5. Passion
Question and answer
1. “ I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/ my soul can reach” , says the poet. Do you find anything illogical to think of logic in poetry? Comment on her attempt to describe the immeasurable nature of her love, by measuring the immeasurable?
The poet loves her husband so intensely that she tries to measure the depth, breadth and height of her love with her soul. Love is an abstract feeling and not a concrete object and therefore it is illogical to think that it can be measured. But, in poetry, imagination is more important than logic. A poet’s imagination cannot be bound by logic. So it can be said that it is illogical to think of logic in poetry. The poet only wants to show nature of love, by measuring the immeasurable. the immeasurable
2. The poet speaks of “everyday’s most quiet need”. Discuss the various possible interpretations.
By “everyday’s most quiet need”, the poet means the simple needs in a person’s daily life. The poet wants the presence of her husband in everything that she does. She wants to take care of him and assist him in his every needs.
3.Treat the poem as a prayer of a devotee before his/her deity. How will your reading of the poem alter?
If the poem is considered as a prayer, then the poet’s love for her husband can be taken as her devotion to her deity. Her devotion is three dimensional which is deep, noble and transcends space.
4. Compare the sonnet with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 in style and treatment.
Shakespear's sonnet 116 glorifies ideal and eternal love which withstand the ravages of time. This sonnet is addressed to a young man whom the poet is emotionally bound to True love is constant and permanent which never alters with the passage of time. Shakespeare uses two metaphors to bring out the nature of true love. First he says that love is an ever fixed mark, a light house that looks on tempest but is never shaken. Then he says that love is like the pole star that guides the wandering ships in the ocean. Time is personified as a reaper carrying a sickle with which he cuts man’s life, looks and possessions. The rhyme scheme used in this sonnet is abab, cdcd, efef, gg. Elizabeth Barret Browning’s sonnet How do I love Thee is a Petrarchan sonnet and it is addressed to her husband. Its theme is that love is not an earthly concept but an eternal, everlasting thing that lasts well beyond the cold grave. She expresses her intense love for her husband. She tries to measure the depth, breadth and height of her love with her soul. Her love is shown in three dimensional, i.e, deep, noble and transcending space. She loves him as genuinely as men who struggle for freedom without expecting any personal gains. She loves him both in happiness and sorrow. If God choose she will continue her love towards her husband even after her death.
Essay
1. Explain the sonnet he also says that her love will continue even after death. How do I love:
The sonnet How do I Love Thee Thee as a love poem is written by the famous Victorian poet Elizabeth Barret Browning. This poem is the 43rd sonner in her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese. The poet addresses the poem to her husband Robert Browning. Love is the most prominent theme of this sonnet. She wants to express her love which is intense and sincere.
The poet deeply loves her husband and she wants to measure her love. Love is not a concrete object but an abstract feeling which can’t be measured. But the poet says that with her soul she can measure the depth, breadth and height of her love. Her love is three dimensional, i.e., deep, noble and that transcends space. The very essence of her existence is to attain salvation and to her, salvation is belonging to her love.
The poet goes on to explain how much she loves her husband. She loves him enough to meet all his simple needs during the day and also during the night. She loves him sincerely as men who struggle for freedom. Her love is so genuine that she does not expect any personal gain from it.
She even loves him with an intensity of the suffering during times of grief. She loves him with the blind faith of a child and her love is so innocent as a child. She loves him with a child like fervour for saints and holiness. Happiness and sorrow do not make any difference in her love for her love is not an earthly concept but it is eternal and sincere.
The poet proclaims that she will continue to love him and also says that she will love him better after death. This sonnet celebrates true love which will go beyond the cold grave.
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