Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Petrarchan Sonnet, “How do I Love Thee?,” sets out to define how she loves her husband by introducing and developing her desire to do so in the octave, and in the sestet, by expanding upon and settling that desire with connections to her life’s experiences. To better understand and analyze the sonnet, a brief history of Barrett’s life is necessary. Analyzing the octave is crucial in order to see its development and how it eventually connects with the sestet. The analyzation
One of the most interesting facts about Elizabeth Barrett Browning is that she began writing poetry at a young age of six. She was born and raised in Coxhoe Hall, Durham England (“Elizabeth”). Browning suffered a nervous disorder that caused weakness, headaches, and loss of consciousness that would last the rest of her life(“Elizabeth”). Two years after Elizabeth Browning was diagnosed with her nervous disorder, her brother Edward drowned which aggravated her poor health issue(“Elizabeth”). In
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, is notable for her extraordinary ability to use poetry to challenge the gender stereotypes that were prevalent in her day. Browning was raised in a home that valued education and intellectual pursuits. She was born in Coxhoe Hall, County Durham, England, in 1806 to a wealthy family. Edward Barrett Moulton Barrett, her father, supported her academic endeavors, gave her access to a sizable library, and encouraged her writing aspirations. Elizabeth Barrett Browning had a