Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

english literature > sonnet 43 > Flashcards

sonnet 43 Flashcards

1
Q

who wrote sonnet 43?

A

Elizabeth Barret-Browning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what themes does the poem explore?

A

love and relationships, and faith and worship

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what does Elizabeth Barret-Browning publish her sonnets as?

A

Sonnets from the Portuguese

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

who was Browning’s husband?

A

Robert Browning, a poet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

did Browning’s father approve of her marriage?

A

no, he disinherited her

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what are the possible links?

A
  • cozy apologia
  • valentine
  • she walks in beauty
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what does the repetition of ‘i love thee’ do?

A

it sounds similar to a prayer so she could be hoping/praying that they will be able to be together someday

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what kind of sonnet is it?

A

a Petrarchan sonnet - her love is original and doesn’t change

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what meter is it written in?

A

iambic pentameter - mimics natural speech

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is the rhyme scheme?

A

abba abba cdcdcd but not quite a perfect rhyme scheme - reflects relationship (unconventional but with close unity)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what is the poem about?

A
  • all the different ways she loves him
  • loves him so much she sees their love as spiritual and sacred
  • her love is so great it will carry on after death
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what do the pauses and repetition do?

A

disrupts the metre which makes the speaker sound passionate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what perspective is it written from?

A

first person (autobiographical)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what does the first person narration do?

A

gives the poem a personal feel and makes it feel intimate - was also unusual for victorian times

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is the main theme of the octave?

A

her love is so intense it is almost divine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what is the main theme of the sestet?

A

she loves him with the emotions of an entire lifetime - from childhood through to, and past, death

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what kind of language does the poem use?

A

exaggerated and religious language

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

how is the speaker’s love similar to religion to her?

A

it touches all aspects of her life and gives meaning to her existence, her love is unconditional - like religious faith

19
Q

why does Browning use hyperbole and exaggeration?

A

shows the strength of her feelings and shows the scale of her love and the fact that the experiences of her whole life contributes to its strength

20
Q

what does the repetition/anaphora in the poem do?

A

emphasises the strength of her feelings - its as if words can’t convey the intensity of her emotions so she has to keep repeating the same ones to express the depth of her love

21
Q

what is the opening line of the poem?

A

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

22
Q

what does the question in the first line do?

A

it makes the poem’s theme clear from the start, and it could show Browning questioning how she can prove/express how much she loves Robert Browning

23
Q

what does the direct address of ‘thee’ do?

A

it is direct and personal but the lack of a name or gender makes it seem universal

24
Q

what are the annotations of ‘let me count the ways’?

A

suggests that there are many ways that she loves him and there are too many to mention, also makes the speaker sound methodical and intense

25
what are the next three lines after the opening line?
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.
26
what are the annotations of 'depth and breadth and height my soul can reach'?
shows the scale of her love, the repetition of 'and' reflects her excitement and passion, could also imply that her love is immeasurable and infinite
27
what is the technique used in 'when feeling out of sight / for the ends of Being and ideal Grace' and what does it do?
enjambment emphasises the speaker's passion and suggests she is overflowing with love
28
what are the annotations of the 'ends of Being and Ideal Grace'?
- she could be comparing her love for her husband to her love for god - capitals suggest the words are being used in a spiritual sense - the speaker's love is so deep it's like the desire to understand existence and get close to god; this would have resonated with the 19th cent readers
29
what is the second half of the octave?
I love thee to the level of every day's / Most quiet need, by the sun and candlelight. / I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; / I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.'
30
what are the annotations of 'the level of every day's / Most quiet need'?
this is a different side of her love - it's a calm, constant part of her everyday life too and she loves him on a regular day to day basis
31
what are the annotations of 'by sun and candlelight'?
- could suggest that she loves every part of every day and her love does not falter - image of the sun could also suggest that he is her life source and she could not live without her. also the image of the candlelight suggests he lights up her dark thoughts
32
what are the annotations of 'I love thee freely'?
- she loves him effortlessly, it's very natural to her - no one is influencing the way she feels about him and could hint to how her father disapproved of their relationship
33
what are the connotations of 'as men strive for Right; / ... as they turn from Praise'?
- 'strive for right' could imply that she is willing to fight for their love - she loves him as willingly as people who always try to do the right thing, and as purely as modest people who turn away from being praised, the link to virtuous conduct suggests her love is morally right
34
what is the first couplet in the sestet?
I love thee with the passion put to use / in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
35
what does the anaphora of 'I love thee' do?
shows the strength of her feelings and emphasises the different words that follow (freely, purely) which describe her love
36
what are the annotations of 'old griefs'?
it could imply that she has turned the bitterness and anger she had previously had into something positive because she loves him so much. he has transformed her sadness into happiness
37
what are the annotations of 'childhood's faith' (and 'lost saints')?
she loves him with the passion that religion gave her as a child. this could suggest that her lover has replaced her faith - she almost idolises him
38
what are the last four lines of the poem?
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.
39
what is the technique used in 'my lost Saints - I love thee..' and 'all my life! - and, if...' and what does it do?
the caesurae break up the rhythm and make her sound breathless with excitement
40
what are the annotations of 'breath / Smiles , tears, of all my life!'?
- could suggest that she loves everything about Robert, she loves him with every emotion, even with every breath she takes she thinks about him - mixture of positive and negative emotions shows that she loves him with everything she has - it all links back to her love for him
41
what are the annotations of 'if God choose'?
the speaker's hope that God supports their love suggests that she believes in its purity
42
what are the annotations of 'I shall but love thee better after death'?
could suggest that her love is eternal and that it is a level of commitment she is willing to promise
43
what are the main feelings and attitudes in the poem?
- deep and lasting love - unselfish love - virtue

english literature (26 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions