#sonnet 43

[stardust-stains]

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

I love you as the Sun does love the Moon;

Dying each night, and rising 'gain each day,

Just to hear her wonderful dream-song croon.

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

I love you as a great mind loves to think;

The cogs and wheels turning day after day,

And sometimes even being put down in ink.

How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

I love you as a miser loves his gold;

Parting with it only on his death-day,

And giving it ev'ry piece of his soul.

How do I love you? Let me count the ways...

I love you more with every passing day.

[poems-from-around-the-world]

Sonnet 43 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning - UK

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.

[shakespearenews]

[teachinghimpoetry]

All days are nights to see till I see thee, / And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me. ~Shakespeare

For National Poetry Day… a man who is poetry personified 💖

[uwmspeccoll]

A Belated St. Valentine’s

We were so busy last week, our staff did not have time to prepare a Valentine’s greeting for yesterday. But we didn’t want you to think we’ve forgotten you, so for all our followers, especially our dedicated long-time followers, we offer various printings of Sonnet 43, perhaps the most famous sonnet from Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, as our Valentine’s massage.

We present, from top to bottom:

1 & 2.) Facsimile of the manuscript for Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese, A Facsimile Edition of the British Library Manuscript, edited by William S. Peterson and published in 1977 in a limited edition of 1000 copies by the Imprint Society in Barre, Massachusetts.

3.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1932 in hand-set Goudy Medieval by Arthur and Edna Rushmore at the Golden Hind Press in Madison, New Jersey, for Harper & Brothers.

4.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1900 by Clarke Conwell at the Elston Press in New Rochelle, New York, in an edition of 485 copies on handmade paper, with initials and borders by H.M. O'Kane. 

5.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1896 for Copeland and Day in Boston on English handmade paper in an edition of 750 copies, with ornamental designs by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. 

6.) Sonnets from the Portuguese printed in 1948 by The Limited Editions Club in an edition of 1500 copies. with designs by Valenti Angelo.

View our other St. Valentine’s Day posts.

[p-isforpoetry]

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (read by Dame Helen Mirren)

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.

[lovedust4starlust]

Malyen Oretsev. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

[crystalspace-sapphic]

we were reading sonnet 43 by elizabeth barrett browning in english class today and wow would it be such a good poem in a wlw way

I sat there throughout the whole thing just thinking what a mood it was