Sonnet 43 Flashcards
Who wrote ‘Sonnet 43’?
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
What is the context for ‘Sonnet 43’?
Browning - early 1800s, wealthy family, father was controlling, ill - medication created her wild imagination, married Robert (a writer), eloped to Italy, 43rd/44 sonnets
What is a sonnet?
A love poem, 14 lines (octet + sestet), iambic pentameter mirrors regular speech patterns, volta between 8th and 9th lines, set rhyme scheme which S43 follows
What does the title ‘Sonnet 43’ suggest?
Sonnet - traditional love poem
43 - 43rd/44 sonnets, deep and intense feelings of love for Robert
What does the repetition of ‘I’, ‘thee’, and ‘my’ suggest?
Personal pronouns - shows intimacy, the relationship is close, there is a great deal of admiration for each other
What does the anaphora ‘I love thee’ suggest?
Repeated 9 times - immense devotion to Robert, could show desperation/insecurity - wants to make sure Robert knows it
Robert is the first man who truly loved her - she didn’t want to lose that
‘by ___ and ___________’
‘by sun and candlelight’
Juxtaposition - her love is all-encompassing, devoted
‘I shall but ____ thee ______ after _____.’
‘I shall but love thee better after death’
Subversion of traditional wedding vows - ‘til death do us part’
What is the meaning, mood, and motivation for ‘Sonnet 43’?
Meaning - Writing to Robert and counting how she loves him
Mood - Overwhelmingly loving and devotional
Motivation - Elevates Robert to a God-like status, highlighting to him his importance to her because of her family deaths and controlling father
What poem should you compare ‘Sonnet 43’ with?
Valentine - traditional vs realistic view of love
“by sun and candlelight”
“I love thee”
“depth and breadth and height” metaphysical extremes vs onion
