How Do I Love Thee?
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Both authors compare their love to unmeasurable aspects of the spiritual or natural world. Elizabeth Browning writes that her love stretches to the "depth and breadth and height My soul can reach." By this, she means that her loves is practically endless. Anne Bradstreet equates her love to "whole mines of gold" and "all the riches that the East doth hold." Both authors show that their love is beyond valuable to them. Also, both authors tell their husband that they will love them in the next life. Browning shows this by stating, "And, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death," while Bradstreet says, "Then while we live, in love let's so persever, That when we live no more we may live ever." Lastly, both women have a strong belief in God and God's hand in blessing them with love.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Both authors compare their love to unmeasurable aspects of the spiritual or natural world. Elizabeth Browning writes that her love stretches to the "depth and breadth and height My soul can reach." By this, she means that her loves is practically endless. Anne Bradstreet equates her love to "whole mines of gold" and "all the riches that the East doth hold." Both authors show that their love is beyond valuable to them. Also, both authors tell their husband that they will love them in the next life. Browning shows this by stating, "And, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death," while Bradstreet says, "Then while we live, in love let's so persever, That when we live no more we may live ever." Lastly, both women have a strong belief in God and God's hand in blessing them with love.
I love that poem! I also find it interesting how Anne Bradstreet measures her love in material things- it having more worth than "whole mines of gold", but Browning describes her love with abstract thoughts like "I love thee with a love I seem to lose".
ReplyDeleteReading things like this is further proof of how illusive and different love is for different people.
ReplyDelete^That poem is great! I think they both use strategic and colorful words to get there point across, and to fully express their love!
ReplyDeleteThis poem does a great job of describing what love can mean to everyone. There is more to love than just romantic feelings, although that is a part of it. I like how she uses the different examples as she lists the different ways to love others.
ReplyDeleteThat is an amazing poem! I absolutely love how she describes love <3 ^‿^
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