How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways
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 candle-light.
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 chooses,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Understanding “How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways”
“How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways,” also known as Sonnet 43, is arguably Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s most famous work. First published in 1850 as part of her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese, this poem is a profound and eloquent expression of a woman’s deep and unwavering love for her beloved. It’s a poem that continues to resonate with readers today, capturing the complexity and intensity of romantic love. The poem’s central idea is the speaker’s attempt to quantify the immeasurable, the depth and breadth of her love. It’s not simply a declaration of affection, but an exploration of the many ways love manifests itself, encompassing everything from spiritual connection to everyday needs.
A Closer Look at the Lines
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.
The poem opens with a rhetorical question, immediately setting a reflective tone. The speaker isn’t asking if she loves, but rather how much. The imagery of “depth and breadth and height” isn’t simply about physical dimensions; it represents the vastness of her soul’s capacity for love. She loves him to the furthest reaches of her being, extending beyond the limitations of the physical world and reaching for something transcendent, “ideal grace.” This suggests a love that’s both earthly and spiritual.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
These lines shift from grand, abstract imagery to the concrete details of everyday life. She doesn’t just love him in moments of passion or excitement; she loves him in the quiet needs of daily existence. The imagery of “sun and candle-light” beautifully illustrates this constancy. The comparison to men “striving for right” suggests a love that’s active and principled, while the comparison to turning from “praise” indicates a selfless, unpretentious affection—her love isn’t motivated by a desire for recognition.
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,
This stanza delves into the speaker’s personal history, revealing how her love has been shaped by past experiences. The “passion put to use in my old griefs” suggests that love has been a source of healing and resilience. Her “childhood’s faith” indicates a deep-rooted capacity for belief and devotion. The comparison to “lost saints” is particularly poignant—she had once placed her faith and love in other things, but now those affections are fully directed toward her beloved.
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God chooses,
I shall but love thee better after death.
The final couplet is a powerful and dramatic conclusion. The speaker affirms that her entire life—“smiles, tears, of all my life”—is infused with her love for him. The conditional phrase “if God chooses” adds a touch of humility and acknowledges that even love is subject to a higher power. However, the implication is clear: if given the chance, her love will only grow stronger, even beyond the confines of earthly existence.
Summary of “How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways”
- Popularity & Context: “How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways” remains one of the most beloved and frequently quoted sonnets in the English language. Part of a sequence of 43 sonnets written to her husband, Robert Browning, the poem offers a personal and passionate glimpse into a deeply felt love.
- The Essence of Love: The poem isn’t just about love; it’s an attempt to define its very essence. The speaker explores the multifaceted nature of love, demonstrating that it is not a single emotion but a complex interplay of passion, devotion, faith, and everyday connection.
- Major Themes: Love, devotion, spirituality, the enduring nature of affection, and the power of emotional connection are central to the poem.
Analysis of Literary Devices in “How Do I Love Thee?”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning skillfully employs a range of literary devices to create a rich and evocative poem.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds creates musicality and emphasizes certain words. For instance, the repetition of the “ee” sound in “I love thee freely” and the “ai” sound in “faith” contribute to the poem’s lyrical quality.
- Metaphor: The poem relies heavily on metaphorical language. The comparison of her love to depth, breadth, and height is not literal; it is a metaphor for the vastness and immeasurability of her affection.
- Anaphora: The repetition of “I love thee” at the beginning of multiple lines creates emphasis and reinforces the speaker’s unwavering devotion.
- Enjambment: The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next creates a sense of flow and momentum. For example, the enjambment between “I love thee with the passion put to use / In my old griefs…” draws the reader forward.
- Imagery: Browning uses vivid imagery to appeal to the reader’s senses. The descriptions of “sun and candle-light” and “smiles, tears” create a powerful emotional impact.
- Hyperbole: The exaggeration of her love—reaching beyond the limits of life and death—heightens the emotional intensity of the poem.
Analysis of Poetic Devices in “How Do I Love Thee?”
Browning’s skillful use of poetic techniques contributes to the poem’s overall effect.
- Sonnet: The poem is a classic Petrarchan sonnet, consisting of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter.
- Iambic Pentameter: The rhythmic pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables (five “iambs” per line) creates a sense of musicality and formality.
- Rhyme Scheme: The sonnet follows a specific rhyme scheme (ABBA ABBA CDE CDE), contributing to its structural coherence. The final couplet, with its rhyming lines, provides a sense of closure.
- Volta: Although subtle, a turn (or volta) can be identified around line 9, where the speaker shifts from grand declarations of love to more personal and intimate reflections.
Quotable Lines
These lines encapsulate the essence of passionate and enduring love, perfect for expressing deep affection or capturing the poem’s beauty.
“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 chooses,
I shall but love thee better after death.”