“How do I Love Thee? Let me Count the Ways”
Sonnet XLIII from Sonnets from the Portuguese
1. Read “How do I Love Thee?” and write a three-sentence summary
of the sentiment it conveys.
2. How would the poem be different if the opening line was "Why do I
love thee?"
3. How many ways of loving does the speaker identify? Do these
ways of loving overlap, conflict, or complement one another?
Explain.
4. Why do you think "How do I love thee?" is such a popular love
poem? What features of the sonnet might make it more accessible
or universal than other love poetry?
5. How would the poem affect readers differently if the beloved was
referred to as "you" instead of as "thee"? What if the beloved was
given a first name – Romeo, Robert, etc.?
Sonnet 43
6
.
a) Make a list of at least four poetic devices Barrett Browning
employs in this poem.
b) For each, provide a brief explanation of what the device
contributes to the poem as a whole. It could, for example, inform
the poem’s structure, theme, or imagery.
7.
Identify three features of this poem that give it a place in the
Victorian age. Explain your ideas.
8.
What theme is communicated in this poem? In what tone is this
theme conveyed? Support your answers with evidence from the
text.