When We Two Parted, How Do I Love Thee and Remember Essay Example
Within the poetry examined, marriage is perceived diversely by the speakers, often contrasting against prevalent views on relationships during the period. The Victorian era pieces of poetry I will concentrate on are "When We Two Parted," "How Do I Love Thee," and "Remember."
My study will cover the language, meaning, form, and structure of poems. During the Victorian era, marriage practices differed significantly from today. Women were expected to obey their husbands and were prohibited from infidelity or escaping their marriages. Violating these expectations could lead to imprisonment. Conversely, men enjoyed more freedoms and were legally permitted to have sexual relations with their wives at any time they wished. Furthermore, upon marrying, men gained ownership of their wife's possessions.
In my analysis of three poems, I observed that t
...hey have varying attitudes towards marriage. While "How Do I Love Thee" and "Remember" share a similar mindset towards marriage, portraying a deep love for each other, "When we two parted" expresses anger towards the poet's spouse for a past wrongdoing. "How Do I Love Thee," being a love sonnet widely known for its theme of love, is written in Petrarch sonnet form and follows an iambic pattern that evokes the regular beating of a lover's heart.
The poem "How Do I Love Thee" contains evidence of deep love expressed with the words "Let me count the ways". The poem is divided into an octave and sestet with a Petrarchan rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDCDCD, which reflects a traditional and formal structure. The absence of tone variation between the two sections strengthens the idea that this is a continuous declaration of love. Elizabeth Browning uses comple
and abstract language, like "I love thee to the depth and breadth and height", which exemplifies that love cannot be quantified.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who was born in 1806 and passed away in 1861, eloped with Robert Browning and settled in Italy. One of her most famous works is "Sonnets from the Portuguese," a series of 44 sonnets charting the progression of her affection for Robert. This collection includes "How Do I Love Thee." Meanwhile, Christina Rossetti was a significant poet during the Victorian period.
The poem "Remember" by Christina Rossetti reflects her life in various ways and showcases her as an intriguing woman. In the poem, she expresses her desire to be remembered even after her death. Rossetti's fear that her death would leave a lasting impact on the person she loved is also evident in the poem. Through the lines "Remember me when I am gone away" and "And afterwards remember, do not grieve," she urges her loved one to preserve her memory but not let the grief consume him/her.
The "Remember" poem has several quotes that convey different meanings. One quote implies that the afterlife takes us to a remote and tranquil land. Another quote proposes that all decisions are made by men and hints at the possibility of romantic plans, perhaps marriage.
"When We Two Parted" is a lyrical poem that effectively expresses the thoughts and emotions of the speaker. Byron poetically depicts a past love affair that has come to an end. Through his vivid descriptions, such as "colder thy kiss", he portrays the image of a farewell kiss with a sense of respect. The poem's structure is noteworthy, particularly in
the third verse where the speaker shares what he hears others saying about his former lover.
However, in the fourth line of the poem, the speaker expresses their current feelings towards the subject of their affection. Overall, "How Do I Love Thee" stands out to me because it is solely focused on love and features a ABBA ABBA CDCDCD rhyme scheme.
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