Sonnet 29 - ‘I think of thee’

• Who wrote sonnet 29?

  Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• What era did Elizabeth Browning?

  victorian era
• Who was Elizabeth Browning?

  She was child prodigy (genius) who has social conscious and oppose slavery + child labour. She suffered with from a lung disease and special injury throughout life and addicted to painkillers.
• What was her relationship like?

  She had a secret relationship with Robert Browning as her controlling father dissaproved so they wrote 500 letters to each other.
• What happened when she married Robert?

  Her father disowned her and never spoke to her again.
• What is the poem about?

  Its a romantic poem about her overwhelming thoughts of robert when he is away when in reality he isn’t like that.
• How does she present herself within the poem?

  As a weak woman as she needs her husband to hold onto and support her through the conceit of a vine and trunk. This supports the perception of women in victorian era when they had few rights and see as dependent on men.
• What does this presentation of herself contradict?

  Presenting herself as the epitome of a respectable victorian woman is contradicted through use of sexual imagery.
• What type of sonnet is this poem?

  Petrarchan sonnet (an italian form of poetry that has 2 parts) which typically has a volta on 9th line.
• What is a volta?

  a turning point
• How does browning use this petrarchan sonnet form?

  The volta is when her tone becomes more confident on line 7 not 9. Therefore doesn’t strictly follow petrarchan structure. The volta being sooner indicates that she’s so excited to be with him.
• analyse: ‘I think of thee!-‘


  Pronoun ’thee’ is directly addressing him making the poem intimate and personal. Exclamation mark emphasises the pleasure she has in thinking about him.
• analyse: ‘my thoughts do twine and bud/About thee, as wild vines, about a tree,’


  Natural imagery shows her thoughts are constantly growing and developing like vines, strong and uncontrollably as they are ’wild’. It is an extended metaphor as her thoughts are the vine and he is the trunk.
• analyse: ‘Put out broad leaves’…./‘Except the straggling green which hides the wood.’


  Her love for him is extensive but her thoughts hide the reality of him. They stop her from seeing the reality of him. She is consumed by them. However the thoughts are inferior to him.
• analyse: ‘ my palm-tree’


  Palm trees are exotic but also a symbol of faith creating a biblical allusion. She finds him physically attractive and he is her paradise. Personal pronoun highlights possessiveness.
• analyse: ‘I will not have my thoughts instead of thee/Who are dearer, better!’


  He is better than her thoughts as seen by positive adjectives even though she views him so highly. Exclamation highlights her excitement in anticipating him being with her.
• analyse: ‘Rather instantly,/Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should,/Rustle thy boughs’


  Imperative (commanding verb) and alliteration emphasise how much she wants him to come be with her, commanding him to move to her. The sibilant sound reflects the rustling of the trees.
• analyse: ‘And let these bands of greenery which insphere thee’


  Use of ’insphere’ creates image of two seperate things joining as one reflecting how her thoughts were so powerful.
• analyse: ‘Drop heavily down, - burst, shattered, everywhere!’


  Three different words to describe his presence replacing her thoughts. Semantic field shows lack of control. Exclamation mark emphasises her excitement in fulfilling her desire to be with him.
• analyse: ‘Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee/And breathe within thy shadow a new air,’


  Plosive sound of ‘because’ marks the conclusion of her argument, that she wants him to understand how much she enjoys being with him. He has a calming effect on her as his presence makes her feel like she’s breathing ‘new air’ which indicates the love they share.
• analyse: ‘I do not think of thee - I am too near thee’


  Reversal of first line highlights difference between thinking about him and being with him. She doesn’t have to have unrealistic thoughts about him when they’re together. He‘s better then anything she’s capable of imagining.
• What poem is best to compare with sonnet 29?

  Love’s Philosophy