Question

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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What do the lines 13-14 "if God choose, / I shall but love thee better after death" reveal about the narrator's perspective or beliefs?


A. The narrator believes she and her loved one shall be together in the afterlife.
B. The narrator fears she will be separated from her loved one after death.
C. The narrator believes her love is so strong that it will not fade even in death but grow stronger.
D. The narrator has faith in a grand design, that God will "choose" what is best for her and her lover.
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Answer 1

C. The narrator believes her love is so strong that it will not fade even in death but grow stronger. The phrase "if God choose" shows deference to God's will, but the speaker says her love "shall but love thee better after death," meaning it will only deepen.