Sonnet 43 Flashcards
(10 cards)
context
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) was a prominent Victorian poet
- She suffered from chronic illnesses and was under the strict control of her father, who opposed her relationship with Robert Browning
- Their eventual elopement to Italy was both a personal and poetic liberation for her
- her brother died in a sailing incident and she didn’t leave the house
form and structure
- Petrarchan Sonnet
-> The poem follows the traditional Italian sonnet structure with an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), typically used to present a problem and a resolution. - Iambic Pentameter
-> Each line generally follows this metrical pattern, lending a rhythmic and harmonious quality to the poem. - Volta
-> The shift or “turn” in the poem occurs at the ninth line, transitioning from abstract descriptions of love to more personal and tangible expressions
language and imagery
- Anaphora
-> The repetition of “I love thee” emphasizes the depth and constancy of the speaker’s feelings. - Spatial Imagery
-> Phrases like “depth and breadth and height” convey the boundless nature of her love, suggesting it transcends physical dimensions. - Religious References
-> The poem includes spiritual language, comparing her love to religious faith and devotion, indicating its purity and sanctity. - Everyday Imagery
-> Mentions of “sun and candle-light” ground her love in daily life, showing it’s both extraordinary and part of her routine existence
tone and mood
- Tone
-> The tone is earnest and reverent, reflecting deep sincerity and devotion - Mood
-> The mood evokes a sense of warmth, intimacy, and transcendence, inviting readers to feel the profound nature of true love
themes
- Unconditional Love
-> The speaker’s love is portrayed as unwavering and all-encompassing, unaffected by circumstances.
-> Spiritual Connection
-> Love is equated with spiritual faith, suggesting a divine or sacred bond between the lovers.
- Transcendence
-> The poem suggests that true love surpasses physical existence, continuing even after death
quotations
‘I love thee to the depth and breadth and height’
‘Being and ideal Grace’
‘I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs’
‘I shall but love thee better after death’
‘I love thee to the depth and breadth and height’
Literal vs. figurative meaning
- Literal senses
-> Depth, breadth, and height are three dimensions we use to measure physical objects (length, width, and elevation).
- Figurative senses
-> Browning isn’t measuring love with a ruler. She’s using spatial language to express that her love fills all possible “spaces” of her being—every part, every direction
Poetic devices
- Hyperbole
-> Claiming her love fills infinite dimensions is an exaggeration to show how vast and boundless it feels.
- Anaphora and parallelism
-> The repetition of “and” links the three dimensions together, giving a steady, rhythmic effect that mirrors the steady, unending nature of her love
- Alliteration
-> Although subtle here, the repeated “t” sounds in “to,” “depth,” and “height” give the line a gentle musicality
Thematic significance
- Universal and eternal love
-> By choosing dimensions that suggest infinity, Browning implies her love is limitless, going beyond any physical constraint
- Spiritual dimension
-> When completed by “My soul can reach,” the measurements shift from physical to spiritual, suggesting her love lives in the realm of the soul and spirit—deeper than just emotions, it’s fundamental to her very being
‘Being and ideal Grace’
Literal vs. figurative meaning
- “Being” literally means existence itself—everything that is.
- “Ideal Grace” evokes a perfect, almost divine beauty or favor—something beyond what we experience in everyday life.
- Figuratively, Browning suggests her love reaches to the furthest edges of reality (the most basic fact of being) and up to a transcendent, perfect goodness (the “ideal” of grace).
Poetic devices
- Alliteration
-> The repeated hard “g” in “Grace” and soft “g” in “going” creates a gentle echo that lingers—much like the divine quality she describes.
- Consonance
-> The “d” sound in “ends” and “Being” ties those words together, emphasizing the boundary her soul reaches.
- Juxtaposition
-> Placing the concrete concept of “Being” beside the abstract “ideal Grace” highlights the span from the most real to the most imagined or spiritual.
Thematic significance
- Limitlessness of love
-> By naming both the foundation of existence and its loftiest aspirations, the speaker conveys that her love is all-encompassing—from what is most real to what is most perfect.
- Spiritual dimension
-> “Ideal Grace” invokes religious or moral perfection. Browning implies her love isn’t merely emotional but touches the divine
‘I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs’
Literal vs. figurative meaning
- Literal sense
-> She once felt passionate grief—strong, racking emotion—and now she redirects that same intensity toward loving her beloved.
- Figurative sense
-> The “passion” (intensity) that once served only to deepen her sorrow is now repurposed to deepen her love. Love becomes the creative outlet for feelings that previously wrought pain.
Poetic and rhetorical devices
- Antithesis/Contrast
-> Grief versus love. By placing them side by side, Browning shows how love can transform what once hurt into something sustaining.
- Zeugma (yoking)
-> “With the passion put to use”—“passion” applies both to grief and love, linking them and highlighting the shift in its “use.”
- Alliteration
-> The soft “p” in “passion put to” gives a gentle, almost hushlike quality, suggesting introspection and careful redirection of emotion.
- Enjambment
-> The thought flows over lines without pause, mirroring how past grief seamlessly feeds into present love.
Thematic significance
- Transformation and healing
-> Browning suggests that love has the power to redeem past pain, turning old wounds into sources of strength.
- Depth of feeling
-> By claiming she loves “with” her past griefs, she implies her love is as intense as her deepest sorrows—nothing has been lost, only redirected
- Continuity of self
-> Her identity—including her suffering—remains part of her; love doesn’t erase the past but integrates it
‘I shall but love thee better after death’
Literal vs. figurative meaning
- Literal sense
-> The speaker predicts that even after she dies, her love for the beloved will continue and grow.
- Figurative sense
-> “After death” can also mean beyond the limits of ordinary life—into eternity or memory—suggesting her love transcends time and mortality
Poetic and rhetorical devices
- Paradox
-> Normally death ends things; here it intensifies love. The surprising twist makes the sentiment more memorable.
- Simple diction
-> The straightforward language (“shall,” “but,” “better”) feels calm and assured, reinforcing her quiet confidence in love’s endurance.
- Future-tense “shall”
-> Gives a sense of promise or vow, as if making a sacred pledge.
- Contrast with earlier energy
-> The earlier lines are rich with lists and measurements; this final line strips away excess to leave a single, lofty claim.
Thematic significance
- Love’s immortality
-> The speaker believes true love outlives the physical body.
- Hope beyond mortality
-> By ending on this note, Browning suggests love offers comfort against the fear of death—it unites the living and the dead.
- Completeness of devotion
-> Having counted all the “ways,” the speaker needs no further proof; love’s fullest expression is its persistence beyond life
