sonnet 43

• Sonnet


  A 14-line poem, usually written in iambic pentameter, with a specific rhyme scheme and structure
• Timeless Love


  The sonnet captures the idealized and enduring nature of love, transcending time and mortality.
• Intimacy and Vulnerability


  The poem's personal and emotional language conveys the speaker's deep intimacy and vulnerability, making it a powerful expression of love.
• sonnet 43 author

  elizabeth barrett browning
• what is the tone of 'how do I love thee' and who are they speaking too

  It is an intimate and direct tone as if she is talking to her husband
• what had Elizabeth not done prior to her writing the poem and how is this conveyed

  Elizabeth hadn't had any physical encounter with Robert browning yet shown during the line 'my soul can reach' regardless if there bodies can't
• how many times is 'I love thee said' in sonnet 43

  nine
• how does she say 'I love thee'

  she says it almost like an affirmation as if confirming that she loves her husband
• in relation to her dad why was the poem sonnet 43 written

  it was written almost in spite of her dad who wouldn't let her marry who she desired
• what does 'let me count the ways' imply

  She is prepared to talk for awhile about why she loves thee
• what does 'I love thee to the depth and breadth and height' tell us about her love

  Contextually it could refer to how up to this point she had, had no real physical communication with Robert yet as well as how her love can't be quantified.
• how does Elizbeth express the fact that her love goes beyond the physical to the point its unmeasurable

  'my soul can reach'
• In the quote 'I love thee freely' what does 'freely' convey


  It focuses on how because she went against her farther and the patriarchy how now she is free to love him without guilt
• what type of poem is sonnet 43

  a love poem
• what does sonnet 43 say about women

  the speaker, Elizabeth loves with 'the depth and breath and height' portraying girls as people with vast emotional and complexity as love touches every part of ones being
• What does the intimate start 'how do I love thee' highlight

  She acts as if she is addressing her husband ready to compliment and describe her love
• How is elizabeth's awe and amazement for her husband shown in the quote 'I love thee with the breaths, smiles, tears, of all my life'

  It's shown through how she loves with every part of her
• Elizabeth Barrett Browning


  English poet, born 1806, died 1861
• Robert Browning

  English poet, born 1812, died 1889, married Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1845
• Sonnets from the Portuguese

  a collection of 44 sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Love poetry

  A collection that explores love, desire, and relationships in the English language
• What does 'lost saints' suggest and what other qoute shares this message

  It references how her love for her partner has taken on the same devotion that was equal to what she had previously for her faith as shown in 'my childhood spirit' as well
• How does Browning relate her love to past experiences in Sonnet 43?

  With a passion put to use in old griefs
• What does Browning imply about love after death in Sonnet 43?

  I shall but love thee better after death
• What significant action did Barrett Browning take regarding her marriage to Robert?

  She married Robert in secret against her father's wishes
• What was the impact of Elizabeth's parents' background on her views?

  Elizabeth opposed slavery despite her parents' roots in the slave trade
• How did Elizabeth's health issues affect her life?

  She suffered from health problems for most of her life
• What was Elizabeth's stance on women's rights?

  She was a keen supporter of rights for women
• Which influential work did Elizabeth read that shaped her views on women's rights?

  Mary Wollstonecraft's *A Vindication of the Rights of Women*
• How were women viewed in Victorian times according to the study material?

  Women were subservient to men and not always respected as writers
• How did Elizabeth Barrett Browning's husband first meet her?

  He was a fan of her work
• What was Elizabeth Barrett Browning's intellectual status in her time?

  She was widely read and highly intelligent
• How does Browning's portrayal of love in Sonnet 43 challenge traditional views?

  By depicting love as everlasting and transcending typical wedding vows