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Assignment in progress for 1070 9813 Language Arts 8 B
Due March 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Sonnet 43
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
1850
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Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) was an English poet during the Romantic Movement. "Sonnet 43" is one of the most famous poems written in the English language. This poem was originally published in 1850 in a collection called Sonnets from the Portuguese. "My Little Portuguese" is a nickname Browning used for her husband.
As you read, take notes on the tone and mood of this poem.

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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Which of the following best summarizes how the speaker quantifies her love?

A. The speaker quantifies her love in specific numbers and instances.
B. The speaker refuses to quantify her love, which is uncountable.
C. The speaker compares her love to great distances, grand ideas, strong emotions, etc.
D. The speaker talks about her love only in terms of religious ideas, like the soul.
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All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
C.

The speaker measures her love by comparing it to vast spaces and deep feelings — “depth and breadth and height,” “my soul can reach,” “ideal grace,” everyday needs, long-held passions and faith, and even life’s “breath, / Smiles, tears” — not by specific numbers or only religious terms.