sonnet 43

• "how do I love thee? let me count the ways"
• "I love thee with the breath, smiles,tears of all my life!"
• "to the level of everydays most quiet need"
• "I shall but love thee better after death"
• "in my old griefs"
• the title represents one of 44 letters that browning sent to her husband
• her family would not approve of her relationship with Robert so they sent letters in secret to each other
• the themes in this poem are love and relationships