stylistic analysis of "how do I love thee" by Elizabeth Barret Browning

Introduction

The poem is represents the intense love Elizabeth offer to her husband Robert Browning. And all the things she want to say and the things she can sacrifice for her love to her husband.

How do I love thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
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.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
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
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
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.

Rhyme Scheme and Divisions

҉        Lines 1 to 8–ABBA, ABBA

҉         Lines 9 to 14–CD, CD, CD

҉         First eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet are called an octave; the remaining six lines are called a sestet.

҉         octave presents the theme of the poem

҉         sestet offers a solution if there is a problem, provides an answer if there is a question, or simply presents further development of the theme

Sonnet 43 Meter

†        iambic pentameter

(10 syllables, or five feet, per line with five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables), as Lines 2 and 3 of the poem demonstrate

I LOVE..|..thee TO..|..the DEPTH..|..and BREADTH..|..and HEIGHT

My SOUL..|..can REACH,..|..when FEEL..|..ing OUT..|..of SIGHT

Theme: Intense Love

ὧ    she says, that it rises to the spiritual level (Lines 3 and 4)

• She loves him freely, without coercion; she loves him purely, without expectation of personal gain

ὧ     She even loves him with an intensity of the suffering (passion: Line 9)

• resembling that of Christ on the cross, and she loves him in the way that she loved saints as a child

Figures of Speech

©       personification

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

©        similes

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

§      Anaphora

The use of I love thee in eight lines and I shall but love thee in the final line. This repetition builds rhythm while reinforcing the theme

§      alliteration

§      thee, the(Lines 1,2,5,9,12). 

§      thee, they (Line 8) 

§      soul, sight (Line 3) 

§      love, level (Line 5) 

§      quiet, candle-light (Line 6)  

§      freely, strive, Right (Line 7) 

§      purely, Praise (Line 8) 

§      passion, put (Line 9) 

§      griefs, faith (Line 10) 

§      my, my (Line 10)
love, love (Line 11)
With, with (Line 12)
lost, love (Line 12)
lost, saints (Line 12)
Smiles, tears (Line 13) (z sound)
smiles, all, life (Line 13)
shall, love (Line 14)
but, better (Line 14)
but, better, after (Line 14) 

Phonology

• Repetition of ‘t’ and ‘th”

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
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
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
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
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith
I love thee with a love I seem to love
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.

*        It emphasis the love of the writer.