Thursday, November 3, 2011

How Do I Love Thee?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's most famous poem (and a favorite of mine, of course) from her Sonnets of The Portuguese:




Sonnet XLIII
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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 candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a 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.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

After such a beautiful poem ...I hate to admit that the thing I concluded was ...I'm so glad we have make up today!

Lori Waggoner said...

Haha! Me too. ;)