How Do I Love Thee? Analysis

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 candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love 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.

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". this is one of my favorite poems. this genre composed of opening octet and closing sestet which falls on Italian Petrachan Sonnet. it has many poetic devices present in the sonnet such alliteration, metaphor and the like. it talks about someone she loves. therefore, the person she is offering her love is her husband - Robert. she expressed her intense love to him knowing that Robert's family is against their relationship",....

| Posted on 2008-09-30 | by a guest

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This is a brillant petrarchan sonnet, written by Barrett Browning to the love of her life, Robert Browning. Interestingly enough she did not show Robert this poem upon completion and it wasn't until much later that he read it. Suggesting that as much as she wrote the poem about him, she may have not written directly for him. I would suggest instead that she wrote this poem as a way of dealing with her intense love for this man. As an outlet to for her passion.
This poem is rich with alliteration and imagery. The metaphors describing her love for him and comparing it to her religious views are profound. I only hope that one day I to can look into my own lover's eyes and with such conviction convey what Elizabeth did here. Love is powerful.

| Posted on 2008-09-24 | by a guest

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enge nga po ng magandang symbol about this poem and pls gave an brief explanation.tnx ill w8 this nyt
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| Posted on 2008-09-03 | by a guest

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The poem would seem to be about someone other than God, but perhaps you people have undergone some enlightenment beyond my reach. I believe the poem is partially about the development of love - it progresses from a love experienced in every living moment, like in newly-weds, to a deeper more 'philosophical' love, brought about by mutual respect that finds its provenience from knowing the other for a long duration. The poet then says that her love was so deep that it would transcend the boundaries of death, and persist, the fire of love burning even stronger.

| Posted on 2008-08-03 | by a guest

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hello people...
i need help on understanding the tone and summary of this poem.. what it really means

| Posted on 2008-06-27 | by a guest

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this poem confuses me kinna. . .it has no specific rhyme scheme which bugs me alot. . .and alot of it contradicts itself. . .its really good but there are things that make it tick and some that flatten it out

| Posted on 2008-05-27 | by a guest

.: thanks :.

thank you very much for explaining this to me. I am a student and i could NOT figure out this poem but i understand it now! thank you!

| Posted on 2008-05-09 | by a guest

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I haven't found any symbols in here. I was about to say that "thee" symbolizes her husband but when I look at it again I think it's more like metaphor. Anyway, this poem is very powerful. It uses many poetic elements such as alliteration, imagery as well as metaphor.

| Posted on 2008-02-02 | by a guest

.: Addendum to 2007-09-18 :.

Wellscripted; worth much rereading to catch all nuances of both poet and analyst. Based on timing prior to marriage to her Robert when obstacles to their union might have seemed insurmountable to her I beg to add an additional thought to Lines 09. and 10. commentary: "Passion put to use in her old griefs is passion that hurts that reminds one through pain that she is stil alive..." (I would add) "and that her love for him endures in the core of her pain." She is saying that no matter th

| Posted on 2008-01-06 | by a guest

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Please make note How Do I love Thee is about the Love toward the Lord Himself romanticists would aspire to her love for Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a follower of Swedenborg and had much knowledege about the Lord Himself and kingdom which would probably explain her pursuit in the desire of such knowledge as she was one possede of ill health

| Posted on 2007-11-08 | by a guest

.: Simple legendary post :.

Simple legendary poem. Accept this comment because this comment is simply legendary too. Who ever posted the article before me, well done, simply legenday analysis. Poems as a way of writing - Simple legendary.
How do I love thee? - Got a lot of inside meaning. ----- (you guessed it) Simply legendary

| Posted on 2007-11-05 | by a guest

.: Simple legendary post :.

Simple legendary poem. Accept this comment because this comment is simply legendary too. Who ever posted the article before me, well done, simply legenday analysis. Poems as a way of writing - Simple legendary.
How do I love thee? - Got a lot of inside meaning. ----- (you guessed it) Simply legendary

| Posted on 2007-11-05 | by a guest

.: Breif Analysis :.

Regular rhyme regular rhythm.
Use of similes and repitition.
Religious
Exploration of feelings.
Emotional confidence. Trying to convey her love towards the man. Serious and passionate.
1 octet, 1 sestet. Big groups to explain her feelings as fully as possible.

| Posted on 2007-11-05 | by a guest

.: another part :.

I think that there is way more to this poem. she states "my soul can reach", "if god choose"--shows that there is limitations to love. She is loving him the way she, as a human, can. She is not stating love in the sense similar to how other poets stated love. She is realistic about love, and that makes the poem even more powerful.

| Posted on 2007-09-23 | by a guest

.: Analysis of this sonnet :.

01. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
The number of ways she loves are numerous. She would need to count them.

02. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
Her love is three dimensional and therefore real, in the sense that all real physical things in the universe are three dimensional. Breadth is width, a measurement of how far across her love is. Height and depth represent how far down (deep) and how far up (high) her love is, in relation to her position in the universe.


03. My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
These measurements, though physical are also spiritual, as they pertain to her soul, which is body and spirit infused.

04. For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
This physical and spiritual measurement is of her soul and the very essence of her being to the ends of her existence.. Ideal Grace is capitalized and probably refers to God, and His most perfect gift--Salvation, and the opportunity to experience eternal love and bliss in His presence. She likens her love for her husband to that love of God.

05. I love thee to the level of every day's
06. Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
Her love is on the same level as our most basic needs--air, water, food, shelter, kinship and love--that need our attention day and night.

07. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
She loves him of her own free will, and not out of obligation. This is the kind of love that is freely given without any coercion by guilt or force or the threat of force. Men strive for Right freely, for it is necessary to their happiness.

08. I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
Modesty turns from praise because it needs it not. She loves him for the sake of love itself, and not to receive any praise.

09. I love with a passion put to use
10. In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
Passion put to use in her old griefs, is passion that hurts, that reminds one through pain that she is still alive. The same passion exists in the faith of a child, who believes without doubt because of a lack of life experience that would go contrary to it.

11. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
12. With my lost saints,
She loves him with the intensity one feels love during their innocence of youth, which she lost with her innocence, and feels it again for him.

-- I love thee with the breath,
13. Smiles, tears, of all my life!
She loves him with the breath of her life, with the happiness and sadness of her life.

-- and, if God choose,
14. I shall but love thee better after death.
Her love for him will not end at the grave, but, God willing, will continue on eternally.

| Posted on 2007-09-18 | by a guest

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When i first read the poem, i couldn't figure out the meaning of it. thanks to you, for explaining it.
i think it is one of the best romantic poems i have ever read. i really enjoyed the eternal love that the poet has to her lover. it represents every love realationship. As if she had the chance to speak on behalf of all lovers...

| Posted on 2007-08-07 | by a guest

.: HOW DO I LOVE THEE :.

My analysis of this poem is different from most of the writers herein. I believe the author is talking about intense sexual feelings and nothing about God at all. "when feeling out of sight, for the ends of being..." is her description of orgasm. "love i seem to lose with my lost saints" refers to her wanton lust which made her NOT a good girl anymore. artdax@yahoo.com

| Posted on 2007-04-26 | by a guest

.: EBB :.

“Sonnet 43” was an easy poem to decipher. While reading this poem, it is rather easy to see that the speaker is the author, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The overall theme of “Sonnet 43” is intense love. You can clearly see that by what the speaker says with each line. ‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.’ (1) In the first line you can see that ‘thee’ is referring to Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s husband, Robert Browning. ‘My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight / For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.’ (2-3) These lines could be stating that the speaker can’t even begin to describe the feeling that she has towards her husband. ‘I love thee to the level of everyday’s / Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.’ (5-6) The speaker is writing here that she will love him everyday, all the time. This includes the day and night, hence the sun, and candle-light. ‘I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;’ (7) Elizabeth Barrett Browning loves her husband as much as men who fight for freedom. So, she would fight for the right to love him. ‘I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.’ (8) Elizabeth Barrett Browning loves Robert Browning genuinely, she loves him without desire for praise. ‘I love thee with a passion put to use / In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.’ (9-10) She loves him even when she is suffering. ‘I love thee with a love I seemed to lose / With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath’ (11-12) She seemed to loose that childhood faith, as she got older. ‘Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, / I shall but love thee better after death.’ In the last lines, Elizabeth Barrett Browning is stating that her life is way too over-romantic. But, her love for Robert Browning will be forever never-ending. “Sonnet 43” shows Barrett Browning’s strong love for her soon to be husband, Robert Browning. Her love is so strong for him that she says that her love reaches past the spiritual realm, past the heavens. In the Sonnet it shows that she loves him freely, without any grief from anyone else. And she loves him for him; she doesn’t gain anything out of it. But most importantly, she loves him even after death. Barrett Browning wrote this poem before she married Robert. She wrote this to show exactly how much she loved Robert. Throughout this poem, Barrett Browning uses a few figures of speech. She uses anaphora, when she uses ‘I love thee’ in eight different lines. And when she uses ‘I shall but love thee’ in the final line it also show the use of anaphora. The repetition of these words helps to build the rhythm of the poem. Another type of figure of speech used throughout this poem is alliteration. One example of the alliteration is in lines, one, two, five, nine, and twelve, each have the words thee, and the. The two words repeat the letters ‘th’.

| Posted on 2007-03-26 | by a guest

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for those who are inlove this poem is best to describe how u feel for ur love one.

for those have lost love, don't lose hope, you should never give up to find someone who can love you like what the poem does and u will love in return.

and for those who are waiting for love, don't lose hope, the best is yet to come. and cherish that moment you'll find that love, a kind of love which is undescribable and immeasurable like how Elizabeth barrett Browning explained in her sonnet...

i h9ope u'll like this poem, this is one of the bests of the bests!

| Posted on 2005-10-11 | by Approved Guest

.: draft of analysis :.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem, “How do I love thee” is a passionate affirmation of love from and enthralled lover. The poem describes the many ways in which Browning feels for the subject, her lover, and therefore defines her love.

The poem contains the following ideas and segments:

· Expression of the depth of her love.
· An attempt to describe the indescribable.
· Comparison to known feelings and interactions.

Line one poses a question which the author attempts to answer for both herself and the audience in the following lines. The subsequent lines, 2 to 4, imply these emotions are too great to measure. Browning then attempts to describe her love to the responder in lines 5 to 9, with repetition and simile giving the poem strength and reinforcing her ideas.
Lines 10, 11 and 12, seem to introduce a regret felt by the author of events past. The poem concludes with a solemn affirmation of the poets love for her lover

· Unexplainable, immeasurable love
· Allusion to religion (Victorian times, significant part of life)



· The first eight lines establish an ‘ABBA, ABBA’ rhyming pattern, with integration of both half and full rhyme.

· The last 4 lines also use this pattern, ‘CDDC’

· Breaks away from the traditional sonnet structure of iambic pentameter with the placement of stress on the first sound, rather than the conventional weak stress followed by a strong stress. However, the sonnet maintains the pentameter format.

· The repetition of, ‘I love thee,’ in the sonnet makes this statement of love even more convincing

· Line 2, ‘depth, and breadth and height’ alliteration / consonance?

· Italian (Petrarchan) Sonnet therefore consists of a set of 8 lines followed by 6.

· Sonnets traditionally are punctuated at the end of each line, however, browning breaks away from this which creates a ‘flow on’ effect.

· This could perhaps signify the ongoing love she feels for this person.


Tone
· dignified
· solemn
· intimate
· Use of higher/ elevated language

Religious undertones?



| Posted on 2005-05-19 | by Approved Guest