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Sonnet 14

If thou must love me, let it be for nought

Except for love's sake only. Do not say

'I love her for her smile-her look-her way

Of speaking gently,-for a trick of thought

That falls in well with mine, and certes brought

A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'-

For these things in themselves, Beloved, may

Be changed, or change for thee,-and love, so wrought,

May be unwrought so. Neither love me for

Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,-

A creature might forget to weep, who bore

Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!

But love me for love's sake, that evermore

Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.

Analysis

In lines 1 and 2 of Sonnet 14, Elizabeth Barrett Browning says she wants only to be loved for "love's sake." The next four lines describe all the things she does not want to be loved for. She tells us in lines 7 through 9 that she does not want to be loved for these reasons because they are changeable and unreliable. In lines 10 through 12, she says she does not want to loved because he feels sorry for her because one day her tears will dry, and then what is left for him to love. She closes by restating her wish to be loved only for "love's sake" because that is the only love that lasts.

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10y ago
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7mo ago

"Sonnet 43" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a love poem expressing deep affection for the beloved. It explores the idea that love is a powerful force that transcends physical limitations and inspires a deep emotional connection. The speaker reflects on the ways love brings meaning and light to their life.

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10y ago

Explanation: "Sonnet 43"

Line 1: At this point the reader cannot know whether this is a rhetorical question. The opening line might seem to present an impossibility or an absurdity in its attempt to define an abstract concept, love, by mathematically adding up instances of it.

Lines 2-4: Dealing in lofty and abstract ideas, the speaker provides no image or symbol to make her love concrete or easy to grasp. Since "Sonnet 43" appears second to last in the cycle of sonnets, some critics have justified these abstractions by referencing them to other sonnets in the volume, arguing that the sonnets must be read as an intertwined narrative to be fully understood. Be that as it may, the abstractions occurring at this point establish the largeness of her love, maybe even making it beyond comprehension. Several critics have pointed out that "the depth and breadth and height" echoes Ephesians III 17-19, where Saint Paul prays for comprehension of the length, breadth, depth, and height of Christ's love and the fullness of God. The terms "Depth, breadth, and height" all refer to dimensions, and the speaker specifies the condition of her soul at the time these dimensions are largest: "when feeling out of sight." Taken in context, the phrase probably describes a soul that feels limitless. Other phrases can be decoded to similarly spiritual expressions of love and being, including "For the ends of Being" --- death or at least a bodily death --- and "ideal Grace" --- heaven. Specific religious meanings for concepts like "grace," "soul," and "being" are, however, far from given, since the poem provides a good deal of room individual interpretation.

Lines 5-6: Sun and candle-light are the first concrete images we come across in this poem. The earthly time frame these lines suggest, however, is still limitless and all-encompassing; "by sun and candle-light" refers to both day and night.

Lines 7-8: The speaker's perspective narrows or even "comes down to earth" a little, shifting from its most religious tone to a focus on more apparently secular human interests. She does, however, select a particularly glorified image of humanity to identify with her love, personifying it as men who are both righteous and humble.

Lines 9-10: The perspective contracts further --- and provides the sonnet's "turn." The speaker's very broad and abstract view becomes concretely personal, turning away from the limitlessness of religion or the outside world to the within of her individual past. Specifically, she describes her love such that it changes the quality of grief, making that grief almost welcome in retrospect. The word "passion," however, introduces several levels of meaning; most significantly, it brings back the religious allusions of lines two through four by recalling the passion of Christ The image of a childhood faith, distinct from the speaker's current faith, suggests something especially pure and innocent.

Lines 11-12: It seems that romantic love rescues a lost religious faith, or at least rescues the passion and impulse the speaker used to feel for religious faith. The "lost saints" can be read both literally and figuratively, as the saints of the church, Christian liturgy or ritual, or even people who once guided the speaker --- her own personal saints. The loss can also be related to her two lost brothers who died of untimely illnesses.

Lines 13-14: "Smiles, tears, of all my life" echoes back to "my old griefs" in line 10, and the speaker begins the closure of the poem where she hopes to be able to achieve an even greater love after death. With humility, the speaker acknowledges that this desire might not be within her power to satisfy.

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16y ago

EBB is the speaker. It is a love poem from her to Robert Browning.

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13y ago

catalog all the ways in which she loves her beloved

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Q: Sonnet 43 by elizabeth barrett browning analysis?
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What is the analysis of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnet 22?

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Which sonnet enumerates the reasons for loving Elizabeth Barrett Browning?

Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning enumerates the reasons for loving her. It outlines the depth and breadth of her love, comparing it to the level that others might aspire to. The sonnet expresses admiration for her intellect, spirit, and beauty.


Did women write sonnets?

Yes, women did write sonnets. Some notable female sonnet writers include Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Christina Rossetti, and Edna St. Vincent Millay, among others. These poets made significant contributions to the sonnet tradition.


What is the rhyme of sonnet 43?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43, known more commonly by its first line "How do I love Thee? / Let me cound the ways" follows an ABBA abba cdcdcd rhyme scheme.


What is the rhyme scheme of Sonnet 43?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 43, known more commonly by its first line "How do I love Thee? / Let me cound the ways" follows an abba abba cdcdcd rhyme scheme.


Why does the speakers in sonnet 14 . By Elizabeth Barrett browning tell her beloved not to love her because of the way she looks sound or thinks?

In Sonnet 14 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the speaker is expressing humility and self-doubt by suggesting that her beloved should not love her for superficial reasons such as appearance, voice, or thoughts. The speaker is conveying a sense of unworthiness and a desire for a deeper, more genuine form of love that transcends physical attributes.


What language techniques are used in sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning?

Some language techniques used in Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning include metaphor (“depth and breadth and height”), alliteration (“ways, being, and ideal grace”), enjambment (continuation of a sentence beyond a line break), and repetition of the phrase “I love thee” for emphasis. These techniques help to convey the depth and intensity of the speaker's love for her beloved.


Who are the famous sonnet writers?

Some famous sonnet writers include William Shakespeare, Petrarch, John Donne, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Each of these poets has made significant contributions to the sonnet form through their works.


What effect is brought about by the repetition used in Sonnet 43?

The repetition of "I love thee" in Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning emphasizes the depth and intensity of the speaker's love for the subject. It serves to reinforce the idea that the love is all-consuming and unwavering.


What is a sonnet and what special literary dose a sonnet have?

A sonnet is a fourteen line poem in iambic pentameter, often with a break or change of sense around line 8 or 9. There are various rhyme schemes. A number of poets made a speciality of them, particularly Petrarch, Shakespeare and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.


References to the soul and ideal Grace in lines 3 and 4 of sonnet 43 by elizabeth barrett browning depict the speaker's love in .?

Lines 3 and 4 of Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning mention the soul and ideal Grace as representing the depth and purity of the speaker’s love for her beloved. The use of these references suggests that the speaker’s love transcends physical boundaries and is deeply spiritual and idealized. The mention of the soul and Grace signifies a love that is profound, eternal, and infused with divine qualities.