Both the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee” and the greeting card lyric “Why Do I Love You So Much?” communicate fervent love and devotion, yet they utilize different literary devices. In order to express the speaker’s love, the Browning sonnet adheres to a rigid structure and utilizes formal tone. With words like “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach,” the imagery is mostly metaphorical and visual. The rhyme scheme is also formal, with an ABBA ABBA CDC DCD pattern.
In contrast, the words on greeting cards convey affection through cherished memories and experiences by using a conversational tone, particular imagery, and repetition. The phrase “Why Do I Love You So Much?” appears at the start and conclusion of each verse, utilizing repetition in the poem. Less allegorical and more concrete, the imagery refers to familiar situations and recollections, as in the line “to remind me how to laugh / when times are trying”.
Despite variances in literary aspects, both pieces portray the overpowering sense of love and the desire to share that love with someone else. The sonnet describes the depth of the speaker’s love using formal language and metaphorical imagery, but the greeting card lyrics communicate love via shared experiences using a conversational tone and repetition.
