sonnet 43 Flashcards
who was it written by and some brief life info?
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (written in 1850)
Browning was a prominent Victorian poet who married playwright Robert Browning despite suffering from a lifelong illness.
The sonnet is addressed to Robert Browning and was written before their marriage.
Before their marriage the pair wrote each other 574 letters over 20 months.
In the 19th century, questions over Women’s Rights were widely debated. Particularly the question of how middle-class women should be educated.
She had an interest in the rights of women and wrote about the need for gender equality.
what are the key themes?
Like a traditional sonnet, the main theme in the poem is love.
In the sonnet she attempts to define her love.
what is the form and structure like?
Sonnet 43 is part of a longer sonnet sequence of 44 sonnets called Sonnets from the Portuguese Other.
It is a Italian, Petrarchan sonnet.
what is the historical and literary context?
Historical Context: A prominent Victorian poet, Barrett Browning wrote Sonnet 43 in secret for Robert Browning before she married him. It is from a longer sequence of 44 sonnets she called Sonnets from the Portuguese - trying to imply they were translations.
Gender inequality was enshrined in law yet EBB was a fierce advocate of women’s rights.
Literary Context: Admirers have compared her imagery to Shakespeare and her use of the Italian form to Petrarch - she appropriates the classical masculine form to articulate her desire and love for Robert. The ruse of presenting her poems as translations enabled her to freely express her desires in a manner which would have been otherwise unthinkable.
quote 1: ‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways’ what could you say about this?
‘Thee’ is a colloquial term for endearment and the rhetorical question indicates a conversation between lovers.
quote 2: ‘I love thee to the depth and breadth’ what could you say about this?
this melodic, assonant phrase creates a sense of harmony which mirrors her love.
quote 3: ‘Feeling out of sight/ for the ends of being’ what could you say about this?
enjambment suggests that the poet cannot contain her love, it overflows.
quote 4: ‘I love thee freely, as men strive for right;/ I love thee purely, as they turn from praise/ I love thee with the passion put to use.’ what could you say about this?
use of listing and the anaphoric phrase emphasises the dedication of her love for him. Variety of punctuation suggests excitement.
quote 5: ‘I love thee with the breath/ Smiles, tears, of all my life’ what could you say about this?
hyperbolic phrase suggests that her love for him is all consuming.
