Question

In Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?", why does the speaker say, "I love thee freely, as men strive for right. / I love thee purely, as they turn from praise"?

A: To show that love is a just cause that deserves to be praised
B: To show that she loves without hesitation and has good intentions
C: To show that there are few men who are worthy of her love
D: To show that she loves the pureness and humility of someone

Answer 1

The correct answer is "to show that she loves without hesitation and has good intentions".

Step-by-step explanation:

"How Do I Love Thee?" is the sonnet 43 written by Elizabeth Barret Browning (1806 - 1861), an English poet of the Romantic Movement.

This poem depicts the strong love a woman feels for a man and that her love will last forever, even after death. Throughout the poem, the speaker uses "repetition" (I love thee) as a figure of speech to emphasize her love.

Answer 2

B. In Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?", the speaker says, "I love thee freely, as men strive for right. / I love thee purely, as they turn from praise" in order to "To show that she loves without hesitation and has good intentions."

Through these lines the poetess Elizabeth Barrett Browning emphasizes that her love is unconditional and given in a free manner. Her love for her husband is pure and is unstained by the ego.