Elizabeth Barrett Brownings How Do I love thee Essay

Elizabeth Barrett Brownings How Do I love thee? This poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one of many she penned for her husband Robert Browning. Using the basic form of an Italian sonnet with its fourteen lines and strict rhyme scheme - she manages to produce a surprisingly passionate poem. The poet begins with the question, How do I love thee?-and it is this which sets the mood of the sonnet, as she tries to quantify, and articulate the depth of her feelings towards her husband. She uses biblical references and religious similes throughout the verse, comparing and equating her love to be as unconditional and pure -as like unto Gods. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and†¦show more content†¦Although it appears that her love towards her husband eclipses everything else, Elizabeth ends this poem with the acknowledgement that its Gods will if this perfect love continues after death. This recognition of Gods supremacy, typifies the fervent, Christian beliefs which colored and shaped her ideals of love. This poem to me, symbolizes the purest form of love between husband and wife. Although you could argue that it is written from a selfish perspective, in that she only speaks of her love, her feelings-you have to bear in mind that in Victorian society, women lived their lives solely through their husbands. The middle-class ladies didnt work, and didnt have a life outside their homes. They dedicated all of their time, energies and passions into keeping their men happy and contented; and in return, were loved, pampered and protected from the harsh realities of life. Even though this idea of total subjection and passivity, wouldnt have a hope of success in todays society, the level of trust and commitment these two Romantic Poets apparently share, could be the ideal that all couples should aspire to. In sharp contrast to Browning idealistic and spiritual love poetry of the 1800s, Seamus Heaneys Twice Shy uses an altogether more contemporary and realistic style of prose too describe love in the 20th century. HeaneyShow MoreRelatedElizabeth Barrett Browning s If Thou Must Love Me2008 Words   |  9 Pagesform of literature, love being the most popular. There are many famous individuals who have transferred their love to another’s heart through poetry. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a prominent poet of the Victorian era, explored the theme of love in her poetry. Born in Durham, England on March 6, 1806, Elizabeth Robert Browning began to show significant amounts of interest in literature at the age of eight. 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The creator of the sonnet was a man named Francesco Petrarca who was usually referred to as Petrarch. Petrarch wrote many of his sonnets based upon himself, and his lover, Laura. The conventional format of a sonnet contains fourteen lines, and is segregated to illustrate two arguments. Every sonnet takes the conventional format of fourteen lines, although the way the arguments are split up, may be different. For example, Petrarch and Elizabeth Barrett Brownings sonnet both Read More Comparison Of Love Poetry: Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesComparison Of Love Poetry: Rememberby Christina Rossetti, How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron The three poems, Remember by Christina Rossetti; How Do I love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron, each explore love and loss in their own unique ways. Remember is, as expected from the title, a solemn lament which is a farewell sonnet to her treasured one. How Do I Love Thee? is again a sonnet of love but is of