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Select the correct answer.

The words "I love thee" are repeated many times in Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem "How Do I Love Thee?" What is the effect of this repetition?

A.
Repeating this line emphasizes the intensity of the speaker's feelings.

B.
The repetition shows how sad the speaker is about her lost love.

C.
The line's repetition echoes the sacrifices the speaker has made for her beloved.

D.
This line is repeated to reassure her beloved of the strength of her love.

User IT Goldman
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1 Answer

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Answer:

A. Repeating this line emphasizes the intensity of the speaker's feelings.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve this question, we need to look at the text of the sonnet:

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.

If we didn't look at this sonnet, we would think that all answers make sense. That's why we need to have the text in front of us in order to discover the correct answer.

We can see that the speaker is telling about all the ways she loves her beloved. Her love is very deep, pure, free. It's filled with both happiness and sorrow (I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life). Based on this, we can conclude that, by repeating the words I love thee in this context, the speaker is emphasizing the intensity of her feelings for her beloved.

User Hulke
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