Sonnet 43 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Question 1

Context - Sonnet 43 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Answer 1

Written in 1845 for her lover
English poet from the Victorian era
suffered from lifelong illness from age of 15
married poet Robert Browning, to whom she writes the poem but doesn’t directly address
interested in women’s roles in society and may challenge the stereotypes of women in the poem
she was disinherited by her parents and travelled to Italy with her husband (‘old griefs’ suggest sour relationship with family)
lost her faith in God during her life
Church had a significant role in society - 40% went to Church
poem expresses ‘intense love’

Question 2

key quotations

Answer 2

-Repetition of ‘I love thee’ emphasises and shows the amount of love Browning had for the man.

• ‘men strive for right’
  her love is freely and rightly chosen
• ‘and with her childhoods faith’ - deeply religious
  she loves him as much as her younger self loved god.
• ‘I love thee purely’ - shows their innocence and naevity on love