Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” and the greeting card lyrics “Why Do I Love You So Much?” both refer to love. The terms “trust,” “memories,” and “laugh” are used in the greeting card to express aspects of real love. She expresses her desire and affection for her husband in Browning’s sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?”. She uses the word “thee” often throughout the poem to emphasize her love for her spouse. She essentially responds to the first line of the poem, “How Do I Love Thee,” every time she uses the word “thee.” “I love thee freely,…” (Line 7). “I love thee purely,…” (Line 8). “I love thee with the passion put to use…”(Line 9). The greeting card uses the word “why” to describe reasons for falling in love and reasons to love someone, but Browning uses the word “how” to describe how someone feels about someone, which is, in my opinion, more significant than using the word “why.”
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2 thoughts on “Brianna Sanchez Discussion 8”
Hello Brianna,
Nice analysis of the poem and the greeting poems. In my opinion, Why is more significant than How because the greeting card shows the clear reason why he loves her so much. But in How I Love thee it is not very clear and also is more a fanatsy love as how he loves thee. Well, this is my humble opinion.
I agree. Using “how” in Browning’s poem shows how deeply and passionately love is felt and expressed, emphasizing the actions and details of love. In contrast, the “why” in the greeting card lyrics may explain reasons for love but doesn’t capture the intense emotion as powerfully. Browning’s poem vividly conveys the depth of love and affection.