How do I Love Thee?

I have chosen this poem not only because of the beautiful way this writer talks about her love towards his couple, but also, because of the story which lies behind it. After doing some research, I found that Elizabeth Barret Browning suffered from a strange illness which caused her an incapacitating weakness. When she published a volume of her poems, Robert Browing sent her letters telling her that he loved her poems. After a long time of communicating through letters, they were arranged to meet each other in person. When they met, they instantly fell in love. They eloped to Italy because her father didn´t approve of their union. Elizabeth claimed that her health improved greatly because of the happiness and love that her couple gave her. Some fifteen years later, she died in her couple´s arms.

This is my favourite part of the poem:


"...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. "

What I very much liked about this poem is the fact that she expresses her love, not an earthly love, with a more eternal perspective, the fact that she will love him even after her death. She also expresses the way she loves him, with all her human attributes. I could really feel her love is sincere and pure.

When reading this poem, I couldn´t help thinking of The Ramones´song " Baby I love you" and of many images related to my favourite love moviy that I´ve seen, such as Noha´s Diary.