A quiz consolidating your analysis of the poem and the key vocabulary from the previous lesson

What does 'harmony' mean?

Which of these quotations uses juxtaposition?

Which of these quotations presents the woman's beauty as divine?

What is enjambment?

Which of the following words are in a semantic field of light?

Lesson 6 - Analysing 'She Walks in Beauty'

﻿Hello and welcome to this lesson about the poem "Sonnet 43" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. In this lesson, we're going to explore the meaning of "Sonnet 43." You'll be provided with key information on the context of the poem and the meanings of important moments within it. For today's lesson, all you need is a pen, paper, and something to write on or with. Please take a moment now to clear any distractions, including turning off the notifications on any apps you have running, or conversations, if you know how to. And finally, try to find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed during the lesson. In this lesson, we'll be working towards answering this question. How does Barrett Browning explore ideas about love in "Sonnet 43." In today's lesson, we're going to start with two key words, then we'll move on to the historical background of the poem. We'll read the poem, make sure we've understood its meaning by picking different bits apart, then we'll apply our learning to a short summary and finish with a review quiz. Let's start off with those key words today, then. The first one is eternal, meaning lasting forever. Example one, he would be eternally grateful for her help, meaning he would be forever grateful for the help that she had given him. Example two, Barrett Browning's speaker declares that her love is eternal, meaning her love will last forever, even after death. Please write down eternal and the definition. Pause in order to do that. And now we're moving on to our second key word, profound, which means something felt strongly or showing a deep understanding. My first example is, the religious ceremony had a profound effect on Lemar, meaning he felt the effect of it really strongly and perhaps had a deeper understanding of God as a result. Example two, in "Sonnet 43," her love is felt so profoundly, so deeply that she struggles to define it. Pause now to write down profound and the definition. Now let's check you've understood that. Which of the following is the correct use of eternal? Is it A, "I am eternal in love with you." B, "My hunger is eternal. I can't wait to have dinner later." C, "Her love of books was eternal, and she had passed it onto her children." Or D, "The rain was eternal; it only lasted five minutes." The correct answer was of course C. This is because C shows us that the love of books lasts forever. It continues not only throughout her lifetime, but passes onto her children. A doesn't work in a sentence. You can't say, "I am eternal in love with you." It would have to be, "I am eternally in love with you." B doesn't work because their hunger can't be eternal. They're about to have some dinner, so it doesn't last forever. And D is the same. If the rain only lasted five minutes, then it's not eternal, 'cause it's not lasting forever. Let's move on to our second key word, which is profound. Which of these is right? Is it A, "I am profoundly craving chocolate." B, "She developed a profound understanding of the meaning of life." C, "This lemon is profound." Or D, "The rain was profound; it only lasted five minutes." Jot your answer down now. And the correct answer was B. She developed a profound understanding of the meaning of life, because here we get the idea that it's a deeper understanding, that she feels it very deeply, and perhaps it is life-changing, much more so than whether you crave chocolates or not, not such a deep feeling. "This lemon is profound," doesn't really make sense, 'cause a lemon can't think or understand something deeply, and the same for the rain there. So jot that down if you need to. And now we're moving on to the historical background of the poem, and starting off with the context of our poet's life, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She was married to a famous poet, Robert Browning, and is most known for her sonnets, which are addressed to her husband, showing her love for him. They eloped, ran away to Italy together after they married in secret. They had to do this because her family disapproved of him, and so they disowned her. They said she was no longer one of them after they got married. They were madly in love and exchanged hundreds of love letters near the time of their elopement. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was very ill for much of her life, and she credits in one of these letters her love for Robert Browning as the thing that kept her alive. She says, "I've come back to live a little for you. I love you. I bless God for you." Now let's look at her poem. She uses a sonnet form, which is a 14-line poem, typically about love with a particular rhyme scheme to celebrate the person that it's addressed to. Although the poem is often read biographically as addressed to her husband, Robert Browning, the speaker and addressee both remain anonymous. So this could apply to any deep, profound love, and isn't necessarily about the two of them. Now let's check that you understood that context. Please answer the following questions in full sentences. Number one, who are most of Barrett Browning's sonnets addressed to? Two, what did Robert Browning and his wife do? Why? Three, what is a sonnet? Four, is anyone named in this poem? Pause and write your answers now. Let's check those answers. Number one, most of Barrett Browning's sonnets are addressed to her husband, Robert Browning. Two, they eloped or ran away to Italy because her family disapproved, and got married. Three, a sonnet is a 14-line poem, typically about love. And four, no one is named in the poem, meaning that this poem could apply to almost any human love. Pause and check and correct those answers. Now we're going to read the poem, and I'll explain it as I go. Please use the glossary on the right hand side to help you with any words that you don't know, "Sonnet 43" 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 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 love thee better after death." Okay, let's pick that apart now to understand it. She starts by trying to define her love, and saying, right, I'm going to count all the ways that I show my love for you and feel my love for you. She starts by saying, I love you as far as my soul can reach. And by commenting on the width, the height, and the depth of her soul reaching, it implies that this love is so powerful because it makes her soul grow and empowers her as a person. Then she comments on the idea of grace. This is a religious, spiritual love, as well as just a physical one. She says that she loves him to every day's most quiet need. We get the idea that this love is always with her. He's always on her mind. She never forgets about him, whether it's sun, daytime, or candle-light, nighttime. She comments on loving him freely, as if she has got the autonomy and choice to choose to love him, and compares that to men striving to do the right thing, suggesting that this is a love that makes her a better person. And she says that she loves him purely, as those men turn from praise, saying, I don't love you because you say nice things to me. I don't do good things for you for that reason. I do good things 'cause I want to make you happy. And then she says that she loves him with a passion put to use in old griefs and childhood's faith. She's saying the incredible anger that she felt in childhood arguments or the incredible fervour that she felt in her childhood's love of God, this love is more powerful than both of those combined, and indeed, in the next two lines, it brings back the love that she used to have for saints, which subsequently she's lost her love of God and her religious way. And finally, she says that if God chooses, she will love him better after death, for this love is eternal, and death cannot stop it. Now let's check that we've understood that by going through the poem in more detail. We're going to start with this summary. Barrett Browning's speaker celebrates her eternal, lasting forever, love for her partner, addressing it to him. She enumerates or counts out the ways in which she shows her love for him, starting with describing her love as a strong force of her soul, then a quieter aspect of her love, saying that it sustains her and comparing it to how the sun illuminates her days, as if she cannot live without the love. She compares her pure love to decent people striving to do good within the world, without expectation of reward or praise, and then compares it to the reverential or holy admiration that she used to have for saints when she was more religious. And finally, she states that her every breath, smile, and tear, is a reflection of her love for her husband and that she will love him even after she dies. Now, let's check that you understood what's happening with some comprehensions. This is true or false. Please write down the numbers and then true or false. Number one, the speaker says that their love is transient. Two, the speaker compares her love to good people who do the right thing without seeking praise. Three, the speaker compares her love to the love that she now has for God, and four, the speaker dedicates every action that she does to her beloved. Pause and write down your true or falses now. Let's check whether you got that right. Number one is false. Her love is not transient, because transient means lasting a short time. Instead, her love is eternal. It will last even after her death. Number two is true. Three is false. She does not compare her love to the love that she now has for God. She's saying that she's potentially lost her faith in God. She compares it to the love that she used to have for saints. A number four is true. Please pause and check and correct those answers. And now we're going to look at the poem line by line, picking out a few key quotations. Please write down the quote and answer the questions. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways," is the opening line. Who is the speaker addressing in this question, "How do I love thee?" Who is thee, meaning you? Number two, Barret Browning uses a rhetorical question, which doesn't require an answer. Why might this demonstrate something about her love, and what does it demonstrate? Number three, what is the speaker saying that they're going to count? What are the ways? And number four, what does it suggest that this poem will be dedicated to? Pause and write your answers now. Here's what you could have had for those answers. Number one, when the speaker asks, "How do I love thee?" she is addressing her lover, and that rhetorical question, which doesn't require an answer, suggests that her love is so profound that she hardly knows how to detail it and break it down. Number three, the speaker states that they will count the ways in which they show their love for their partner. And four, this suggests that the entire poem will be celebrating her love for her lover and addressed to him. Pause and check and correct those answers now. On to lines two to three. "I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight." So she's saying that she loves him to how deep her soul can go, how wide it can go, how high it can reach, as if her soul grows by being in love with him. Number one, the speaker states that she loves her partner as far as her soul can reach. What is the soul typically associated with? Two, what does focusing on the soul suggest about her love? And three, by describing the soul as reaching, it suggests that her soul is expanding due to her love. How does this present that love? Pause and write your answers now. For number one, you could have written, the soul is typically associated with religion and heaven. So two, focusing on the soul suggests that her love transcends, goes beyond life on earth, and three, when the speaker suggests that her soul is expanding due to her love, it implies that her love is powerful and able to strengthen her as a person. Pause to check and correct those answers now. And five to six. "I love the to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light." We get the idea that her love is there with her every single day, whether it's morning or night, and that it is a need for her. So one, she compares her love to an everyday need. What does this suggest about her love? Two, what time of day is sun associated with? And three, what time of day is candle-light associated with? Therefore, four, what does sun and candle-light suggest about the speaker's love? Pause and write your answers now. For number one, you could have written, by comparing her love to an everyday need, it implies that her love is continually with her and helps establish or create who she is. It helps define her identity. Number two, sun is associated with daytime, and three, candle-light is associated with evening or nighttime. Four, therefore, sun and candle-light reinforces that she continually thinks about her partner and that her love is always present. Pause to check and correct those answers now. Our next quote is from lines 12 to 13. "I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall love thee better after death." She's saying that she dedicates everything to him and would love him even after her death. Number one, what point is she making by saying that she loves him with her breath, smiles and tears? Two, how does the use of a list, breath, smiles, and tears, add to this idea? And three, she says that she will love him better after death. What does this imply about her love? Pause and write your answer now. Number one, you could have written, by saying that she loves him with her smiles, breath, and tears, the speaker makes the point that her life is dedicated to him, and she loves him with every fibre of her being. Two, that list emphasises the number of things that she is dedicating to him, and therefore, what an important figure he is in her life. And three, by saying she will love him better after death, she implies that her love is eternal and it cannot be stopped by death. Pause to check and correct those answers now. And now we're going to apply our learning to a short summary. I'd like you to summarise how the speaker's love is presented in this poem. Be sure to include how the speaker presents their love, what the speaker compares her love to throughout the poem, and what that reveals, and at least one key quotation. Try to use as many of the words below as possible, divine, meaning holy, that might be linked to how she presents her love, eternal, lasting forever, profound, that deep understanding, celebrates, purity, and spiritual. Pause now to write your answer. Here's an example of what you could have written. In "Sonnet 43," Barrett Browning celebrates her eternal love for her partner when she says that she will love him better after death, implying that her love is unbreakable. She also demonstrates that her love is spiritual as she compares her love to that which she felt for lost saints, suggesting that her love may have restored her faith in God. This student's got a clear idea here about the love. They've used the key word eternal, and they've weaved their quotations in. Now let's look at a more developed answer. In "Sonnet 43," Barrett Browning celebrates her eternal love for her partner when she says that she will love him better after death, implying that her love is unbreakable. Furthermore, she presents her love as profound and spiritual, comparing it to that which she felt for lost saints, suggesting that her love may have restored her faith in God. She tries to enumerate the ways in which she shows this love by explaining that the love seems to grow her soul, is a daily need, and makes her strive to be a better person, suggesting that it's empowering. Notice how this developed answer has also included the different comparisons that she's made throughout the poem, and that she's compared her love to. Pause now to add in anything that you missed. And now I'd like you to click on the link and complete the five-question multiple choice review quiz. That brings us to the end of today's lesson. A really big well done on all the learning you've achieved today. I'd now like you to look back at your notes and identify the three most important things that you've learnt today. It's totally up to you what they are. Thank you for learning with me today, and have a great day.

This quiz will consolidate your understanding of what the poem is describing as well as the key context and vocabulary surrounding it.

What does 'eternal' mean?

Who did Barrett Browning dedicate most of her poems to?

What are sonnets typically about?

Which of the following does the speaker compare her love for her partner to?

How is the speaker's love presented in the rhetorical question: 'How do I love thee?'?

Lesson 7 - Understanding Sonnet 43

In this lesson, we will explore the meaning of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem 'Sonnet 43'. We will be provided with key information on the context of the poem and the meanings of important moments within it.

English

Y11 English

Key Stage 4

Year 11

Miss

Sonnet 43 (Part 1)

Eduqas Poetry

Anthology Poetry

THEME

UNIT

Sonnet 43 (Part 2)

Valentine (Part 1)

Valentine (Part 2)

She Walks in Beauty (Part 1)

She Walks in Beauty (Part 2)

'London' by William Blake

'London': Language, Form and Structure

'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley  

'Ozymandias': Language, Form and Structure

To Autumn (Part 1)

To Autumn (Part 2)

What is the definition of 'anaphora'?

Choose the most suitable reason why Blake wrote 'London'.

Fill the sentence with the correct word: 'The language Blake uses shows the suffering experienced by the ___________ and downtrodden people of London.'

Keats is a Romantic poet. What do Romantics focus on?

What is transient in ‘To Autumn’?

This question relates to the poem 'To Autumn' by John Keats.

What semantic field does Keats use in stanza 3 to show the transience of nature’s beauty?

What does ‘the soft-dying day’ in stanza 3 symbolise about autumn?

This question relates to the poem 'She Walks in Beauty' by Lord Byron.

What does 'divine' mean?

According to Byron, why is the woman's beauty important?

How does the speaker feel about the woman?

Which of these quotations shows that her outward beauty represents her inner beauty?

What does this line suggest about her beauty? “And all that’s best of dark and bright/Meet in her aspect and her eyes”

This question relates to the poem 'Sonnet 43: How Do I Love Thee?' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

How is the speaker's love presented in the poem?

Which of the following quotations shows that their love is spiritual?

Which quotation demonstrates that her love is eternal?

Which could the enjambment in this line mimic? 'I love thee to the depth and breadth and height/My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight.'

This question relates to the poem 'Valentine' by Carol Ann Duffy.

When Duffy's speaker refuses to give their partner roses/hearts, what are they rejecting?

Instead of roses/hearts, what gift does the speaker offer her partner?

Which aspect of society is Duffy critiquing in the lines 'Not a red rose or a satin heart. I give you an onion.'

What could the onion's layers being unwrapped symbolise about relationships?

What is free verse?

How is Duffy's love presented in the poem?

What do the 'rose', 'satin heart', 'cute card' and 'kissogram' symbolise in the poem?

By comparing her love to an 'onion', how does Duffy present her love?

Why might Duffy use one line stanzas for lines like 'Not a red rose or a satin heart.'?

This question relates to the poem 'London' by William Blake.

Below are two sentences that use the word 'deprivation'. Which sentence links to the context of 'London'?

This question relates to the context of the poem 'London' by William Blake.

What major event took place in 1789 that demonstrated that people who did not have power could revolt against those in power?

Lesson overview:Sonnet 43 (Part 1)

Eduqas Poetry: