How Do I Love Thee ….

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 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.

By : Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Summary

The poet while trying to express her undying love for her beloved begins to count the some ways in which she loves him. By counting the number of ways, the poet is trying to show that the love in her heart for her soul mate is present in all her walks of life. It is a way of expressing the beautiful fact that everything in and around her leads her to that love.

The poet says that the love which she feels for her beauty is so strong that it fills every pore of her soul. The adoration which Elizabeth carries in her heart is a part of her existence which is why when she tries to map the out of sight boundaries of her soul and the world around her, she realizes that her love for her beloved extends just as far . This means that her affection defines her existence and the world around in ways which is not apparent to the mortal sight. Only the poet feels the power of that true love which envelops her.

After adding this hint of divinity to her poem the poet transcends to a more down to earth description of her love. She says that her lover is her everyday need. She is so deeply in love with her soul mate that he is as important as the basic necessities of life. She wants to see her love in the light of the sun and by the candle-light. This means that she wants to be with her love at all hours of the day such that every minute of her existence is filled by him .

Courtesy : http://www.gradesaver.com