Sonnet 43

• “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight”

  • The use of spatial imagery ("depth," "breadth," "height") gives her love a physical and limitless presence, making it feel monumental and immeasurable.
  • “My soul can reach” introduces a spiritual dimension—she’s not just loving with her body or mind, but with the entirety of her being.
  • “When feeling out of sight” hints at faith and intuition—her love is felt even when it can’t be seen, just like religious belief.
  • Reinforces the idea that her love is not only passionate, but also sacred
• "I love thee with the passion put to use / In my old griefs"

  • She channels the intensity of past sorrow into love, showing that even pain can be transformed into something beautiful and meaningful.
  • The juxtaposition of “passion” and “griefs” highlights how love is tied to her emotional history.
  • Suggests a mature, deeply felt love that acknowledges the complexity of emotions, not just joy
• With my childhood’s faith”

  • “Childhood’s faith” implies innocence, purity, and total trust
  • Childhood belief is unquestioning and absolute, which mirrors the kind of love she feels—unconditional and unwavering
  • Browning’s use of religious language elevates her love to something transcendent, not bound by human flaw
• “I shall but love thee better after death.”

  • Closes the poem with a powerful and eternal promise—that her love will not only continue but grow stronger beyond the grave
  • This reflects Victorian ideas about eternal souls and the afterlife, and connects love to divine or eternal truths
  • Highlights how love is not limited by time, decay, or the body—making it almost immortal
• Petrarchan Sonnet

  • The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, a traditional form used for love poetry
  • It’s divided into an octave (first 8 lines) and a sestet (last 6 lines), often used to present a problem or idea and then reflect or resolve it
  • In this poem, the octave lists the depth and variety of her love, while the sestet brings in personal and spiritual reflections, ending with the idea of love that lasts beyond death
  • The structured form mirrors how the speaker tries to measure or make sense of her overwhelming emotions through poetic order
• Climactic Final Line

  • “I shall but love thee better after death"
  • The poem ends on a powerful, climactic note — love not only exists in life, but grows stronger in death
  • This spiritual ending matches the religious undertones seen earlier, and elevates her love to something eternal
  • A circular structure is created as the last line echoes the spiritual love from the start, tying the poem together
• Syntactic Patterning

  • The phrase “I love thee” is syntactically repeated, which attempts to answer the initial question
  • This repetition shows how the love is reiterated and reinforced, connoting that love is constant and perpetual
  • It strengthens the active love expressed by Elizabeth Barrett Browning - thus presenting her a proto-feminist, who does not cater to her husband
• • Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a Victorian poet (1806–1861), one of the most famous female writers of her time
  • She was known for her emotional and spiritual poetry, often exploring love, faith, and morality
  • She wrote Sonnet 43 as part of a series called Sonnets from the Portuguese, which were love poems written to her husband, Robert Browning, before they got married
  • This poem is intensely personal — it reflects real feelings of love and admiration she had for her future husband
• • During the 19th century, romantic relationships were often influenced by social expectations, especially for women, who were expected to be passive and modest
  • Elizabeth broke these expectations by writing boldly about her deep, spiritual love
  • Her choice to express passionate love in poetry would have been unconventional and even radical for a woman in Victorian society
• • As a deeply religious woman, Elizabeth often connected love with spiritual belief
  • In this sonnet, she compares her love to faith, grief, and eternity, suggesting it’s more than just physical or emotional — it’s sacred and everlasting
  • The spiritual imagery and references to death reflect both Victorian religious values and her own personal beliefs about love lasting beyond life