HSAS Murphy: Poem Study Guide; "How Do I Love Thee?"

Literary Criticism for "How Do I Love Thee?"

Sam - *David Kelly*: "Overview of 'Sonnet 43'" - Thesis: Sam agrees with Kelly that Browning is able to capture love in logical terms but disagrees that the poem doesn't resonate with modern audiences; sam says it does resonate. Angel: - *Brent Goodman*: "An Overview of 'Sonnet 43'" - Thesis: Angel agrees that Browning's deviance from strict poetry styles (ex: uncommon rhyme scheme) lets her express the uniqueness of her own love.

What is a sestet?

Six lines with the rhyming pattern cdcdcd

What is another name for the poem, "How Do I Love Thee?"

Sonnet 43

Tone and Mood of "How Do I Love Thee?"

Tone = sincere and passionate Mood = romantic

What is a volta?

Turning point in a Petrarchan sonnet after the octave

You don't need to memorize, but recognize what the following poem is: 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 of Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday'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 the 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 life! --- and if God choose, I shall but love thee better than death.

"How Do I Love Thee?"

Nonfiction Source of "How Do I Love Thee?"

*Michicko Kakutani*: "As A Nation Was Born, They Wrote and Wrote" for the NY Times (Adams couple = more politically involved than the Brownings)

What is the form of a Petrarchan Sonnet?

- 14 lines in total (sonnet) - iambic pentameter - contains an octave (first eight lines) - last six lines = sestet - unusual rhyme scheme: abba abba cdcdcd)

What is the form of a Shakespearean Sonnet?

- 14 lines total - 3 quatrains - one rhyming couplet (@ end)

Style of "How Do I Love Thee?"

1) Anaphora: Frames each line as an answer to the question, "How do I love thee?" - she asks 7 questions and gives 7 answers 2) Religious References 3) Consistent use of repetition

Speaker of "How Do I Love Thee?"

1) Elizabeth Barrett Browning (first person) 2) repeats the phrase "I love thee" *9* times

Main Ideas of "How Do I Love Thee?"

1) Love = timeless; loss of innocence after bro died but regained faith 2) True love overcomes all else! 3) Browning's devotion to her husband

Background of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (author of "How Do I Love Thee?")

1. Born in 1806; wealthy family owned plantations in Jamaica 2. Wrote 1st epic @12; developed lung ailment and spent most of life taking morphine 3. Gained writing attention in 1830s, spent 5 years in room after bro died 4. Praised Robert Browning and caught his attention (in 20 months, *574 love letters* were sent b/w the pair) 5. Dad did not approve; she eloped in Florence (1846) 6. Wrote "Sonnets for the Portuguese", written in secret by marriage 7. Died in Florence of natural causes (June, 1861)

Form of "How Do I Love Thee?"

1. Elizabeth Barrett Browning mixed elements of the Petrarchan sonnet with elements of the Shakespearean Sonnet 2. 2 quatrains with one sestet 3. A few rhyming lines 4. Has a volta after the first 8 lines

Who wrote "How Do I Love Thee"?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning