How does the Poet Express Her Love in How Do I Love Thee?

Answer

How does the poet express her love in “How Do I Love Thee?”

Or, How does E.B. Browning convey the idea of the passionate nature of her love for her husband?

Or, Give an account of E.B. Browning’s intense love. 

“How do I love thee?” (1850), also known as “Sonnet 43,” is a sonnet by the 19th-century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). In the poem, E. B. Browning expresses her love as deep, boundless, and eternal.

Love in Everyday Life: She begins by asking herself how much she loves her beloved. She immediately declares that her love is as deep as her soul can reach. The poet says,

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach,

This suggests that her love is vast and limitless. E. B. Browning also explains that her love is consistent and enduring. She loves her beloved/husband in everyday moments “by sun and candle-light,” meaning her love is steady throughout the day and night. Her love is spontaneous.

Sacred Love as Faith: Her love is also compared to her “childhood’s faith.” It means her love is pure and innocent. She compares her love to religious faith. Her love is as sacred and important to her as faith.

Eternal Love: E. B. Browing expresses that her love is an inseparable part of her life. She loves her beloved in happiness and sadness. Finally, Browning believes her love will continue beyond her lifetime. She hopes,

…if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

This conveys that her love is eternal, not bound by time, and will only grow stronger in the afterlife.

In conclusion, E. B. Browning uses powerful words and comparisons to express her deep, lasting, and divine love for her beloved.