How Do I Love Thee? Flashcards
Context to his poem
Elizabeth spent most of her time along in an upstairs room. Her only consolation was poetry and at this she was very successful.
Robert Browning read her work and he was so impressed he wrote asking to meet her.
What does the title of this poem mean?
She chose the title to give the impression that she had translated the work from the Portuguese and would therefore avoid any controversy. It was dedicated to her husband, poet Robert Browning.
Quote from first four lines
“Depth and breadth and height” - rule of three conveys that human love can be measured in physical terms. In the knowledge that our capacity for devotion is limited, the speaker resolves to love to the fullest extent she can achieve within the limitations of the human condition.
Quote from the second four lines
“Most quiet need” - superlative conveys the basic emotional necessity to add value to the life of another through daily acts which seem insignificant but as a whole are vital to the shared daily experience which gives lovers a sense of interdependence.
Quote from the last six lines
“In my old griefs” - possessive adjective demonstrates separation from loved ones as a deeply personal experience. Everyone has their own sense of loss to done to terms with in a journey towards acceptance.
Theme of this poem?
True love is an all-consuming passion. The quality of true love the poet especially stresses is its spiritual nature.
Structure and tone of this poem
Has 14 line, first 8 being the octet and final 6 being the sestet. The octet is basically a list set in the present that reflects a very deep love.
Sestet looks back in time and then forward to a transcendent love which helps put the whole work into perspective.
Iambic pentameter is the dominant meter.
Themes
Love
Eternity
Death
