click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Sonnet 43
Elizabethh Barrett Browning
Question | Answer |
---|---|
What is the context of the poem? | • Addressed to her future husband (at that point) Robert Browning. |
What is the message of the poem? | •Barrett Browning is trying to define her love for Robert Browning and suggests her love exists in many different forms "let me count the ways" • Love is a force we cannot understand- "I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach." |
How does the form of the poem tie in with the theme of love and imperfection? | • The poem is a 14 line sonnet • But has a slightly open ended rhyme scheme • This symbolises love's imperfections and the struggle to truly define the 'perfect' love. |
How does Barrett Browning use techniques to create effect and reinforce the message? | • Constantly uses repetition of "I love thee" to create an image of the persistence of her love. •Barrett's strong use of punctuation towards the end of the poem highlights the poet's exhilarated, impassioned nature in explaining her love. |
What is the tone of the poem? | • "How do I love thee?" instantly tells the reader the poem is a conversation between two lovers • Conversational tone reinforces the message that love is an every day concept pursued by those who live normal lives- could tie in with imperfection theme. |
What is another theme of the poem? | • Love is an all encompassing concept stronger than many things • Reinforced when Barrett Browning says she has "lost saints"- symbolising she is no longer religious because love is a more powerful force than religion. |