Question

• What poetic devices were used in this poem and where were they used?

How Do I Love Thee?"
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I
shall but love thee better after death.

Answer 1

The poem 'How Do I Love Thee?' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning uses repetition, imagery, and hyperbole to convey the speaker's intense love.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem 'How Do I Love Thee?' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning utilizes several poetic devices to convey the depth and intensity of the speaker's love. One example of a poetic device used in the poem is repetition, specifically the repetition of the phrase 'I love thee'. This repetition emphasizes the speaker's unwavering and all-encompassing love for the object of their affection.

Another poetic device employed in the poem is imagery. Through vivid and sensory descriptions, such as 'depth and breadth and height', 'sun and candle-light', and 'breath, smiles, tears', the speaker creates a visual and emotional landscape that allows the reader to better understand the magnitude and complexity of their love.

Additionally, the poem utilizes hyperbole, or exaggeration, to emphasize the depth of the speaker's love. For example, the speaker claims to love the object of their affection 'to the level of every day's most quiet need', expressing a love that extends to the most mundane aspects of life.