Welcome to Poem of the Day – How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem “How Do I Love Thee?” is one of the most famous sonnets in English literature. It is the 43rd poem from her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese, written during the early stages of her romantic relationship with her husband, the poet Robert Browning. The poem expresses the speaker’s deep, unmeasurable love for her partner. In this article, we will break down the meaning and themes of the poem to better understand its beauty and emotional depth.
How Do I Love Thee Poem
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.
How Do I Love Thee Explanation
Structure and Form
The poem is a sonnet, a 14-line poem often used to explore themes of love, beauty, and nature. It follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form with three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a concluding couplet (two-line stanza). The rhyme scheme is ABBA ABBA for the first eight lines (the octave) and CDCDCD for the last six lines (the sestet). The regular structure and rhyme scheme give the poem a sense of harmony, which mirrors the eternal nature of the love described.
The Speaker’s Love
In the opening line of the poem, the speaker asks, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” This question sets the tone of the poem, as the speaker seeks to express the depth and extent of her love. What follows is a series of statements in which she lists various ways in which she loves her partner, each one growing in intensity and significance.
The Depth of Love
The speaker begins by saying she loves her partner “to the depth and breadth and height” of her soul. These words convey the vastness of her emotions. It suggests that her love is not limited by physical space or time—it is boundless and all-encompassing. The speaker emphasizes that her love is as pure and as deep as her soul itself.
In the next lines, the speaker compares her love to the “ideal grace” of love that she has been taught about since childhood. This highlights how the speaker’s love has grown to become more than just a romantic feeling; it has become an ideal, something both profound and spiritual.
Unfailing and Everlasting Love
One of the most striking elements of the poem is the way the speaker stresses the constancy of her love. She states that she loves her partner “freely,” “purely,” and “honestly,” which reveals a love that is without conditions or selfish desires. There is an emotional truthfulness in this kind of love. In addition, the speaker expresses that she loves her partner even when she is angry or disappointed, suggesting that her love is unconditional and remains constant through all circumstances.
The Role of Love in the Speaker’s Life
As the poem progresses, the speaker notes that her love is not only enduring in this life but extends into the afterlife. She writes, “I shall but love thee better after death.” This belief in the eternal nature of love elevates the speaker’s feelings to something spiritual and transcendent. It suggests that her love will not cease with death but will continue beyond it, reaching into eternity.
Conclusion
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?” is a powerful exploration of deep, unconditional love. Through vivid, emotional language, the speaker articulates a love that is vast, pure, and eternal. The poem’s beauty lies in its simplicity, yet its depth speaks to the universal experience of passionate, unyielding affection. For anyone seeking to understand the power of love, this poem offers a profound glimpse into the way love shapes lives and endures beyond time.
