5 Questions
What is the first line of the sonnet?
How do I love thee
What does the speaker want to do after saying 'How do I love thee'?
Let me count the ways
What does the speaker love 'to the depth and breadth and height'?
Thee
What does the speaker love 'to the level of every day’s most quiet need'?
Thee
What does the speaker love 'with the passion put to use'?
Thee
Study Notes
Sonnet 43: "How do I love thee"
- "How do I love thee" repeated in the first line of the sonnet
- "Let me count the ways" follows, indicating enumeration of ways
- Browning's repetition creates a connection between the two sentences
- The sonnet expresses love to the depth, breadth, and height
- Love is described in connection to the ends of being and ideal grace
- Love is expressed as meeting everyday needs, by sun and candle-light
- The love is given freely, with pure and passionate devotion
- The speaker's love is described in relation to past griefs and childhood faith
- Love is expressed with the intensity of breath, smiles, and tears throughout life
- The speaker anticipates loving even better after death
- The sonnet's first quatrain establishes the theme of love
- The repetition of "How do I love thee" sets the tone for enumeration
Test your knowledge of classic poetry with this quiz on "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. See if you can recall the different ways the speaker expresses love in this famous sonnet.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
