“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” is a sonnet by the 19th-century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It is her most famous and best-loved poem, having first appeared as sonnet 43 in her collection Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850). Although the poem is traditionally interpreted as a love sonnet from Elizabeth Barrett Browning to her husband, the poet Robert Browning, the speaker and addressee are never identified by name. In this guide, we use female pronouns for the speaker and male pronouns for the beloved, but the poem itself does not specify these genders and is open to other interpretations.
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The Full Text of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)”
1How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
2I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
3My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
4For the ends of being and ideal grace.
5I love thee to the level of every day’s
6Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
7I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
8I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
9I love thee with the passion put to use
10In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
11I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
12With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
13Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
14I shall but love thee better after death.
The Full Text of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)”
1How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
2I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
3My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
4For the ends of being and ideal grace.
5I love thee to the level of every day’s
6Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
7I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
8I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
9I love thee with the passion put to use
10In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
11I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
12With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
13Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
14I shall but love thee better after death.
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Summary
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Themes
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Romantic vs. Spiritual Love
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Love vs. Reason
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Love as Choice and Freedom
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)”
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Line 1
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
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Lines 2-4
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. -
Lines 5-6
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. -
Lines 7-8
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. -
Lines 9-12
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. -
Lines 12-14
I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Symbols
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Sun and Candle-light
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Assonance
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Consonance
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End-Stopped Line
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Aporia
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Apostrophe
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Metaphor
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Simile
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Alliteration
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Anaphora
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Enjambment
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Caesura
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Thee
- Breadth
- Grace
- Strive
- Lost Saints
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Speaker
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“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)”
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More “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)” Resources
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External Resources
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Another Take on "How Do I Love Thee?" — A solid, line-by-line analysis of the poem from Owlcation.
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The Original Manuscript — Read the poem in Barrett Browning's handwriting, courtesy of the British Library.
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The Scandal of 1846 — An informative article about the marriage and scandalous elopement of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning.
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The Peanuts Version — Listen to a charming version of the poem read aloud on "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown."
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Elizabeth Barrett Browning 's Life Story — A great introduction to the poem and biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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