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 thee with the 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.
Unveiling the Depths of “How Do I Love Thee?”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?”, often recognized as Sonnet 43 from her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese, stands as a monumental work in Victorian love poetry. Published in 1850, this poem is far more than a simple declaration of affection; it is a profound and intricate exploration of the myriad ways in which love manifests itself. The speaker does not merely state her love; she meticulously catalogs its immense depth, boundless breadth, and rich variety. The poem’s enduring popularity stems from its honest, vulnerable, and universally relatable depiction of a love that transcends ordinary understanding.
What is “How Do I Love Thee?” About?
At its core, “How Do I Love Thee?” serves as a poetic response to the challenge of quantifying or describing an overwhelming emotion. The speaker embarks on a journey of self-examination, comparing her love to various aspects of human existence, including spiritual devotion, emotional experience, and practical daily needs, to illustrate its pervasive nature. The poem suggests that love is not a singular feeling but rather a complex tapestry woven from intense passion, unwavering faith, profound grief, and the quiet necessities of everyday life. Ultimately, the poem culminates in a bold assertion: that true love transcends even death itself.
The Central Idea of “How Do I Love Thee?”
The central idea of “How Do I Love Thee?” revolves around the all-encompassing, immeasurable, and eternal nature of true love. Browning posits that love is not a fleeting sentiment but a fundamental force that shapes the soul, permeates every aspect of daily life, and extends beyond the boundaries of mortality. The poem proposes that authentic love is a powerful combination of spiritual devotion, emotional vulnerability, and unwavering commitment, capable of transforming and elevating the human experience.
An In-Depth Analysis of “How Do I Love Thee?”
To fully appreciate the genius of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?”, a closer look at its structure and language is essential. The poem, a Petrarchan sonnet, unfolds its argument in an octave (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the final six lines), with a significant shift in thought, known as the volta, occurring between them.
Lines 1-4: Defining the Immeasurable
The poem opens with an immediate, engaging rhetorical question, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” This is not a literal invitation to tally affections but a poetic device that signals the speaker’s intention to articulate the sheer abundance and multifaceted nature of her love. The speaker then employs powerful spatial metaphors to convey the boundless quality of her feelings:
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.
These dimensions, “depth and breadth and height,” are not merely physical; they represent the furthest reaches of her soul’s capacity. The phrase “when feeling out of sight” suggests a love that transcends earthly limitations, reaching into the spiritual or metaphysical realm. “The ends of being and ideal grace” further indicates a profound spiritual dimension, a yearning for ultimate perfection and a connection to something divine and transcendent.
Lines 5-8: Love in Everyday Life and Principle
The speaker continues to elaborate on the scope of her love, moving from the spiritual to the practical and ethical. She declares her love extends “To the level of every day’s / Most quiet need,” highlighting the comfort, support, and constancy love provides in the small, often unglamorous, moments of daily existence. The imagery of “by sun and candlelight” reinforces this idea, suggesting that her love illuminates both the bright, joyous times and the darker, more challenging periods. The poem then introduces ethical dimensions:
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
The comparison “freely, as men strive for right” suggests a selfless love, guided by principles of justice and integrity, given without constraint. The subsequent line, “purely, as they turn from praise,” indicates a love that is not motivated by vanity, external validation, or expectation of reward; it is genuine, intrinsically rewarding, and given without ulterior motive.
Lines 9-12: Love Shaped by Past Experience
Here, the poem introduces the volta, or turn, shifting its focus to how past experiences, even painful ones, have shaped and deepened her current love. The speaker reveals that her love is imbued “with the passion put to use / In my old griefs,” suggesting that past sorrows and emotional intensity have not diminished but rather enriched her capacity for love, perhaps through heightened empathy and understanding. She also connects her love to innocence and wonder, stating “and with my childhood’s faith.” This implies a pure, unquestioning devotion. A particularly poignant declaration follows:
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints.
The “lost saints” could represent loved ones who have passed away, a fading religious faith, or even lost ideals. Browning implies that her current love rekindles a spiritual or profound emotional bond she once thought irretrievably lost, imbuing it with a sacred and redemptive quality.
Lines 13-14: Love Beyond Life
The poem culminates in a powerful declaration of enduring love, asserting its presence through the entirety of human experience and beyond. The speaker states, “I love thee with the breath, / Smiles, tears, of all my life,” capturing the totality of her existence. Love is intertwined with every emotion, every moment, from the most joyful to the most sorrowful. The final line delivers an audacious and deeply moving assertion:
and, if God choose, / I shall but love thee better after death.
This statement asserts love’s immortality, suggesting that even death cannot diminish her affection, but rather enhance it. The conditional phrase “if God choose” adds a touch of humility and reverence, acknowledging that ultimate fate and the continuation of such profound love rest with a higher power.
Literary and Poetic Devices in “How Do I Love Thee?”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning masterfully employs a range of literary and poetic devices to enrich “How Do I Love Thee?” and convey its profound emotional depth. Understanding these elements enhances the appreciation of the poem’s artistry.
- Sonnet Form: The poem is a Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet, comprising 14 lines. It is structured into an octave (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the final six lines). The octave typically presents a problem or question, and the sestet offers a resolution or answer, with a shift in thought, known as the volta, occurring between them, usually at line nine.
- Rhyme Scheme: The Petrarchan sonnet typically follows an ABBAABBA rhyme scheme for the octave, and a CDECDE or CDCDCD scheme for the sestet. “How Do I Love Thee?” adheres to ABBAABBA CDCDCD, creating a musicality and sense of completeness.
- Metaphor: Browning uses metaphors to compare love to abstract, boundless concepts. For instance, love is described in terms of “depth and breadth and height,” transforming an emotion into something with infinite dimensions.
- Anaphora: The powerful repetition of the phrase “I love thee with…” or “I love thee to…” at the beginning of several lines creates a strong rhythmic emphasis and underscores the speaker’s unwavering devotion, building intensity throughout the poem.
- Imagery: Vivid sensory details help readers visualize and feel the love described. Examples include “sun and candlelight,” which evoke warmth, light, and the presence of love in all circumstances.
- Spiritual Allusion: References to spiritual concepts, such as “ideal grace,” “childhood’s faith,” “lost saints,” and “if God choose,” elevate the love beyond the purely human, imbuing it with a sacred and eternal quality.
- Personification: Love is subtly personified as an active force, capable of reaching, striving, and shaping the soul, rather than merely being a passive feeling.
- Rhythm and Meter: The poem is written predominantly in iambic pentameter, a common meter in sonnets, which consists of ten syllables per line with an alternating pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. This regular rhythm provides a natural, conversational flow while maintaining poetic dignity.
Memorable Lines from “How Do I Love Thee?”
These lines from “How Do I Love Thee?” continue to resonate deeply, capturing the essence of profound and enduring affection:
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 with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of “How Do I Love Thee?”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?” remains a timeless and powerful testament to the multifaceted nature of love. Through its intricate structure, rich imagery, and profound declarations, the poem invites readers to contemplate the limitless dimensions of affection, from the spiritual to the everyday, from past griefs to eternal hope. It is a masterful exploration of love’s capacity to shape, sustain, and transcend human existence, solidifying its place as one of the most cherished and analyzed poems in the English language.