Sonnet 29 "I think of thee!"- Elizabeth Barret Browning

• "I think of thee!—my thoughts do twine and bud"

  This line uses natural imagery to depict the speaker’s thoughts focusing on her beloved, much like vines twining around a tree. It suggests that her love and thoughts for him are ever-growing and developing.
• "About thee, as wild vines, about a tree" 


  The metaphor here shows the narrator as “wild vines” and the lover as the “tree”. The internal rhyme of “thee” and “tree” further emphasizes this connection.
• "Put out broad leaves, and soon there 's nought to see"


  This line continues the vine imagery, suggesting that her thoughts of him are so abundant and expansive that they obscure everything else.
• "Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood"


  The speaker refers to her beloved as a “palm-tree”, a symbol of resilience and endurance. This could imply her recognition of his strength and steadfastness. Also a palm tree could be associated with the bible and is likely to grow by an oasis. Implying that he quenches the thirst of her love.
• "I do not think of thee—I am too near thee."


  The concluding line of the sonnet expresses the speaker’s deep intimacy with her beloved. Her love for him is so profound that she feels his presence even in his absence.
• These lines reflect the themes of love, vulnerability, and freedom that are central to the sonnet1. The sonnet is a moving love poem dedicated to the poet’s husband that expresses her devotion to him. Through its lyrical language and profound emotional depth, Browning delves into the complexities of love and its ability to uplift and enrich one’s life.