A series on love poems wouldn’t be right without a quick look at one of the most well known sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
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 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.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861
Let me Count the Ways was one of forty-four sonnets published in ‘Sonnets from the Portuguese’ during a time when most great love poetry had been written by men. The name of the book was used as a decoy to take the focus off the biographical content of the sonnets, all of which were written during the courtship with her husband Robert Browning. A more detailed account of Elizabeth’s life and how this poem came to be written can be found here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/elizabeth-barrett-browning
Sonnet 43 is written in Petrarchan form, which is more difficult to write in English because it has only two rhyming sounds in the octave and two in the sestet.
While the technical aspects of the poem are interesting (for nerdy word people like me), the real loveliness comes from her description of how this love has affected the small aspects of her life and the idealisms of faith, righteousness, and immortality.
How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)
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 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.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861
Let me Count the Ways was one of forty-four sonnets published in ‘Sonnets from the Portuguese’ during a time when most great love poetry had been written by men. The name of the book was used as a decoy to take the focus off the biographical content of the sonnets, all of which were written during the courtship with her husband Robert Browning. A more detailed account of Elizabeth’s life and how this poem came to be written can be found here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/elizabeth-barrett-browning
Sonnet 43 is written in Petrarchan form, which is more difficult to write in English because it has only two rhyming sounds in the octave and two in the sestet.
While the technical aspects of the poem are interesting (for nerdy word people like me), the real loveliness comes from her description of how this love has affected the small aspects of her life and the idealisms of faith, righteousness, and immortality.