Informal Theme #3
Blog #3
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 everyday’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 the 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.
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 everyday’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 the 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.
Interpretation:
This sonnet analysis explores mainly the artful way in which Elizabeth Browning blends the subtlety of poetic technique and spirituality with the more unbridled passion of romantic love, for this sonnet XLIII is one of the most famous love poems of all time. Her pretty little sonnet belies the strength of its poetic accomplishments in combining the two so seamlessly. The delicate and seductive theme of romantic poetry caused this to be one of the most loved love sonnets in the world and was written partly to express the poet's profound love for her husband, Robert Browning, who rescued her from her tyrant of a father. Sonnet XLIII also expresses Elizabeth's deep spiritual love for God and her desire that they will both cross the threshold of heaven together. Elizabeth's poetic techniques have been carefully employed. She has chosen to express her love in sonnet form. Sonnet XLIII is a good example of how poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, have to employ discipline in constricting their ideas by a set structure.
In the opening eight lines of this Petrarchan sonnet, Portuguese sonnet XLIII (the octave) the poet presents the theme of love and the degree of the fundamental depth of love felt by Elizabeth for Robert Browning, her sweetheart and husband. She likens her deep feelings to religious, spiritual, emotional and even political aspiration and goes on to employ repetition, the metaphor of Christian religious faith and a musical metrical and rhyme scheme to develop and convey her ideas beautifully. She addresses her sweetheart with simplicity, charm and a refreshing innocence It
In the opening eight lines of this Petrarchan sonnet, Portuguese sonnet XLIII (the octave) the poet presents the theme of love and the degree of the fundamental depth of love felt by Elizabeth for Robert Browning, her sweetheart and husband. She likens her deep feelings to religious, spiritual, emotional and even political aspiration and goes on to employ repetition, the metaphor of Christian religious faith and a musical metrical and rhyme scheme to develop and convey her ideas beautifully. She addresses her sweetheart with simplicity, charm and a refreshing innocence It
is deceptively simple and will be repeated many times in different ways - the poet must express wild and free feelings in a very restricted sonnet form, she will use repetition often to help her fit in with the stresses and unstresses of the sonnet pattern. The iambic metre dictates strict adherence. Moving on, the word 'freely' not only evokes ideas of freedom in love, but also in the egalitarian principles of French politics, and also a reference to her own lack of it in a prison-like home. Freedom could also apply to feminist principles.
The last six lines compare the feelings she has at the moment to those emotions of love she experienced as a girl. These lines are particularly beautiful and lyrical as Elizabeth Browning skillfully employs the poetic technique of undulating stresses and pauses. This gives Sonnet XLIII the atmosphere of a love song. The subtle cadences appear as a lightly conversational melody. The mono-syllabic nouns however in her choice of language, add a beat of authority. She juxtaposes romantic love with religious love, as she expresses her feelings in terms of adoration and devotion. She uses the symbolism and imagery of the heights of heaven to express the sheer dimensions of the romantic love she feels. She also hints that she would like it to be as infinite as the eternal love of God. Concluding the poem, she hopes that she will go on to love her husband even more in the future if God permits. If not, then there is always Heaven! Hopefully, they will cross the threshold together. Elizabeth Browning's Sonnet XLIII analysis could go on for ever in terms of poetry criticism - there is so much there for love poem enthusiast and poetry expert alike to enjoy.
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