Asked by mani

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 every day’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

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.

Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is in the public domain.


Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

Notes
Ideal (noun) : perfect or the best possible
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Assessment Questions
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PART A: Which of the following statements best describes a central theme of the poem?

A. Love is unconditional and eternal.
B. Coming of age is when one is willing to give up everything for another person.
C. True freedom comes from freedom of the soul.
D. Love requires sacrifice and is not always constant.
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All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
A.

The poem repeatedly emphasizes the speaker’s constant, selfless, and enduring love — “to the depth and breadth and height,” “I love thee freely, as men strive for right,” and “I shall but love thee better after death” — which points to unconditional, eternal love. The other choices misread the poem’s focus.