ENGLISH Petrarchan Sonnet Presentation.pdf

Petrarchan Sonnet

1. SONNET

2. PURPOSE AND STRUCTUREPURPOSE AND STRUCTURE

3. A petrarchan, also known as an italian sonnet, consists of
fourteen lines and follows a specific rhyme scheme. The
meter of this poem uses an iambic pentameter as its meter.

4. IAMBIC PENTAMETERIAMBIC PENTAMETER

5. IAMBIC PENTAMETERIAMBIC PENTAMETER
The iambic pentameter is a type of metric line in traditional
English poetry introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer. It consists of
iambs, which are unstressed syllables followed by a stressed
syllable. An iambic pentameter features five iambs per line,
making it ten syllables in total.

6. A petrarchan, also known as an italian sonnet, consists of
fourteen lines and follows a specific rhyme scheme. The
meter of this poem uses an iambic pentameter as its meter.
The first eight lines, known as the octave, typically follow the
rhyme scheme ABBAABBA. While the remaining six lines
contain a variety of rhyme schemes, such as CDCDCD or
CDECDE.
In the case of a petrarchan sonnet, a few of them are
separated into two stanzas; the octave and the sestet. But
some of them usually tend to have one single block of text.

7. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43

8. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
C
D
C
D

9. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
C
D
C
D
Octave
Sestet

10. The purpose of Sonnet 43 is to express the profound love Elizabeth has for her beloved, and
to show how much love can fill every part of someone's life. It sets the idea that love itself
may be finite, but eternal.

11. The purpose of Sonnet 43 is to express the profound love Elizabeth has for her beloved, and
to show how much love can fill every part of someone's life. It sets the idea that love itself
may be finite, but eternal.
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.

12. It shows Elizabeth here, describing that her love is vast and
immeasurable. The line “when feeling out of sight” conveys that even
when the speaker cannot physically see her loved one, their deep
connection towards each other still remains strong. This is due to the
historical background with her husband, Robert Browning. Elizabeth
wrote this poem as a way to immortalize and embrace their love
together.

13. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGEFIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

14. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
Elizabeth Barrett Browning uses various forms of figurative
language in order to convey the depth and intensity of her love.
She uses figurative devices such as personification, hyperbole,
metaphor, imagery, and anaphora.

15. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
PERSONIFICATION
PERSONIFICATION:
In the clause “My soul can reach”, suggests that
the soul can move or act on its own, like a
person with its own purpose. Using
personification in this poem suggests that her
love is not only an emotion, but something that
pushes her to experience love in a profound
way.

16. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
C
D
C
D

17. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
HYPERBOLE
As mentioned earlier, the line “I love thee to the depth and
breadth and height” uses exaggeration in order to express
something. Elizabeth Browning is not “literally” saying that
her love has a measurable depth, width, and height, but
instead, uses these terms in order to convey that her love
has no boundaries or limits.
HYPERBOLE:

18. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
C
D
C
D

19. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
SIMILE:
The line “I love thee freely, as men strive for right” shows
that she loves her husband with the same commitment and
strength men strive for.
SIMILE:

20. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
C
D
C
D

21. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
ANAPHORA:
Anaphora is a form of literary device that uses the repetition of a
word or words at the beginning of two or more consecutive lines.
ANAPHORA:
In the poem, Anaphora is evident in lines with the phrase “I love
thee” As you can see in these lines, the repeated phrase creates a
rhythmic pattern that catches the reader's attention and creates a
sense of flow.

22. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
ANAPHORA:ANAPHORA:
It serves as a way for
Elizabeth to emphasize the
consistency of her love for
her partner.
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.

23. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
IMAGERY:
Elizabeth uses imagery in the line, “Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight”. It
allows the reader to feel and imagine the affection the speaker is experiencing.
The word sunlight is often associated with brightness, showing the idea that love can
bring in light into the darker parts of life.
IMAGERY:

24. FIGURATIVEFIGURATIVE
IMAGERY:
Elizabeth uses imagery in the line, “Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight”. It
allows the reader to feel and imagine the affection the speaker is experiencing.
The word sunlight is often associated with brightness, showing the idea that love can
bring in light into the darker parts of life.
IMAGERY:
Candlelight on the other hand, is usually associated with more gentle stuff. It
symbolizes the feelings of warmth and peace Elizabeth experiences when they are
together. 

25. 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.
SONNET 43SONNET 43
A
B
B
A
A
B
B
A
C
D
C
D
C
D

26. INTERPRETATIONINTERPRETATION

27. Elizabeth reflects her heartfelt declaration of love. Her love is pure, intense, and
rooted in faith, comparing it to her needs. She explains that love is selfless (“I love
thee freely, as men strive for right”) and pure (“as they turn from praise”). It draws
strength from past grief and unwavering faith, reinforcing the idea of love’s power.
But basically the speaker expresses that her love is infinite and transcends reality,
growing even stronger after death.

28. REFERENCES
“Petrarchan / Italian Sonnet.” Poem Analysis,
N.D,https://poemanalysis.com/poetic-form/petrarchan-sonnet
REFERENCES