Sonnet 43 Elizabeth Barrett Browning Overview Elizabeth wrote

Sonnet 43 Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Overview • Elizabeth wrote this sonnet to express her love for her husband-to-be, Robert Browning. She discusses that her love has no bounds, including death.

Rhyme scheme and divisions • The rhyme scheme of "Sonnet 43" is as follows: Lines 1 to 8–ABBA, ABBA; Lines 9 to 14–CD, CD. Petrarch's sonnets also rhymed ABBA and ABBA in the first eight lines. But the remaining six lines had one of the following schemes: (1) CDE, CDE; (2) CDC, CDC; or (3) CDE, DCE. The first eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet are called an octave; the remaining six lines are called a sestet. The octave presents theme of the poem; the sestet offers a solution if there is a problem, provides an answer if there is a question, or simply presents further development of theme.

Rhyme scheme and divisions • In Browning's "Sonnet 43, " the octave draws analogies between the poet's love and religious and political ideals; • the sestet draws analogies between the intensity of love she felt while writing the poem and the intensity of love she experienced earlier in her life. Then it says that she will love her husband-to-be even more after death, God permitting.

Structure • "Sonnet 43" is in iambic pentameter (10 syllables, or five feet, per line with five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables), as Lines 2 and 3 of the poem demonstrate. • I LOVE. . |. . thee TO. . |. . the DEPTH. . |. . and BREADTH. . |. . and HEIGHT My SOUL. . |. . can REACH, . . |. . when FEEL. . |. . ing OUT. . |. . of SIGHT

Language features • Anaphora (uh NAF uh ruh) Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of word groups occurring one after the other. Examples: (1) Give me wine, give me women and give me song. (2) For everything there is a season. . . a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted. –Bible, Ecclesiastes. (3) To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream • ‘I love thee’ is used in eight lines and ‘I shall love thee’ is used in the last line. This repetition builds a rhythm and also helps to reinforce theme. • Thee = poet’s husband to be – Robert Browning • ‘depth. . breadth’ – internal rhyme

Language features • Alliteration – Again it helps to create rhythm within the sonnet. • thee, the (Lines 1, 2, 5, 9, 12). thee, they (Line 8) soul, sight (Line 3) love, level (Line 5) quiet, candle-light (Line 6) freely, strive, Right (Line 7) purely, Praise (Line 8) passion, put (Line 9) griefs, faith (Line 10) my, my (Line 10) love, love (Line 11) With, with (Line 12) lost, love (Line 12) lost, saints (Line 12) Smiles, tears (Line 13) (z sound) smiles, all, life (Line 13) shall, love (Line 14) but, better, after (Line 14)

Annotations • ‘when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and Ideal Grace’ – When my soul feels its way into the spiritual realm, I will still be alive and loving you. • ‘level of everyday’s Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight’ – I love you enough to meet your simple, every day needs- during the day and even during the night. • ‘freely’-willingly. Just as intensely as men who fight for freedom. • ‘purely’ – genuinely, without desire for praise. • ‘childhood’s faith’ – with the blind faith of a child • ‘with a love I seemed to lose With my lost Saints. ’ – With a child-like passion that I seem to lose as I grow older. • ‘breath’- echoes the word breadth which is used earlier in the sonnet. • ‘love thee better after my death’. – their love is eternal, never ending.