My Poetry Page

How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Text Version


How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Audio Version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD9ycWMiTkw

I. About the Poem

How Do I Love Thee? is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed by Michael Gordon. It stars Jackie Gleason and Maureen O'Hara and is based on Peter De Vries's 1965 novel Let Me Count the Ways.

Works Cited （参考文献）    
"How Do I Love Thee?" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Do_I_Love_Thee%3F>                                         

II. About the Poet

Born in 1806 at Coxhoe Hall, Durham, England, Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an English poet of the Romantic Movement.

Works Cited （参考文献）

Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.<https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/elizabeth-barrett-browning>                                           

III. My Reaction

A. Reaction Point - rhyme (韻)
In this poem uses rhyme. Rhyme is identity in sound of some part, especially the end, of words or lines of verse. For example, "height" and "sight", "faith" and "breath". I thought that it seemed to be difficult to rhyme in English.

B. Reaction Point - character(登場人物)
This poem's character is "I" and "you". Direct "you" does not come out. However, a character is two people when I think from context. I felt that the chief  character of this poetry loved partners very much.

C. Reaction Point - metaphor  (異なる種類の別のもので、一つのことを直接比較する、比喩 )
In this poem, metaphor expression is used. "My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight", A soul does not have a hand. But, I think that emphasize a meaning more becaus "My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight".

D. My General Opinion

This poetry is a liric. The feeling to a beloved person is written. I like expression of "Smiles, tears, of all my life! ". Because it thought that the feeling to partner sharing the life appears very much.