analysis of sonnet 43 Flashcards
Give the context of the poem “Sonnet 43”
“Sonnet 43” was written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1850. She was a Victorian era romantic poem and the poem came from a series of sonnets called “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, it was titled this as the poems where dedicated to her husband who had affectionately nicknamed her “my little portuguese”. Barrett Browning’s life was riddled with illness which led her to lose her faith in God and religion despite initially being a devout believer.
Analyse the first line: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”
By opening the poem with a rhetorical question, Browning draws the reader in and makes them want to read the rest of the poem. The use of the directive pronoun “thee” tells us that the poem is aimed at someone likely to be her husband. Also, “Let me count the ways” is a forewarning of the listing that is about the follow and continue throughout the poem.
Analyse line two: “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height”
The repetition of “I love thee” emphasizes to the reader that the poem is a declaration of love and that it is a traditional version of this. Additionally, the use of the triplet “depth and breadth and height”emphasizes to the reader the love and adoration she feels for her husband, additionally the use of polysyndeton in this phrase shows that her love is never-ending. This triplet shows the use of hyperbole in her poem, which she utilizes to show that her love goes on and on and on, that it will never end and is so large that the reader will never understand the true size of it.
Analyse line five and six: “I love thee to the level of every day’s - most quiet need, by sun and candlelight”
She also writes “I love thee to the level of every day’s most quiet need, by sun and candlelight”, using this metaphor she makes it clear to the reader that she loves her husband day and night no matter what happens. The words “by sun and candlelight”, also indicate to the reader that she loves him come what may, whether that means the good times “by sun” or the darkness and bad times the connote with “candlelight”.
Analyse line seven: “I love thee freely, as men strive for Right”
She loves him “freely” meaning it is completely her choice to love his and that she loves him from her heart. The simile comparing her love to how “men strive for Right”, confirms this. Just as men fight for the right cause, she loves him as he is her right cause. She means to say there is no sin in loving him.
Analyse line nine: “I love thee with a passion put to use”
She writes “I love thee with the passion put to use” the use of the noun “passion” can be linked to devout faith for a religion or God, by saying this she tells the reader that she adores her husband as much as a devout follower would adore God himself.
Analyse line eleven and twelve: “I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints”
Browning also writes “with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints”, this alliteration of the letter “L”, symbolizes that the love she lost for her religion and God she now has for her husband. It tells us that the love has replaced her religion and spirituality.
Analyse line twelve and thirteen: “I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life”
The repeated use of the triplet form acts as a hyperbole for her love for him. Additionally, the “smiles” and “tears” are symbolic of the good and bad times in her life meaning that she loves him even when times are bad and she loves him when times are good as well.
Analyse line thirteen and fourteen: “if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death”
Finally, Browning says “if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death”, by saying “if God choose”, Browning makes the sentence ironic as she has lost her faith. It shows that reader that even though she has lost her faith, if there is still a God she will love him even more in her death.
Analyse the use of enjambment and listing throughout the poem
Enjambment is used throughout the poem to keep the pace as well as put emphasis on certain words and draw attention to them. She does this to stress her love for her husband.
Listing is used in the poem to show all the ways she loves her husband and to show that her love for him is ceaseless and goes on forever, even in her death.
Analyse the structure of the poem
The poem is written as a petrachen sonnet, a typical structure for love poems which immediately indicates to the reader that this poem has love as a central theme. Additionally the use of iambic pentameter gives the poem a sense of metre and gives the reader the impression that her loves goes on and on and on.
Give the key theme of the poem and write an introduction
Love: Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem “Sonnet 43” explores the key theme of love and discusses her love for her husband. She uses various different techniques to show her love including listing, enjambment, hyperbole and repetition.
Give comparison poems depending on the theme
Love: “Valentine” or “She Walks in Beauty” or “Cozy Apologia”
