Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Discussion How Do I Love Thee?

“How Do I Love You?” By Elizabeth Barrett Browning was written in 1845, while she was being courted by the English poet Robert Browning is. The poem is also titled Sonnet XLIII from Sonnets From Portuguese.

Early Experiences

Elizabeth Barrett was in Durham, England, born in 1806, is the first daughter of wealthy parents, the sugar cane plantations in Jamaica. She was educated at home and greedy in history, philosophy and literature to read. Young Elizabeth learned Hebrew in order to read original Bible texts and Greek in order to read original Greek drama and philosophy. She started writing poems when she was 12 years old, although they did not publish her first collection for another twenty years.

Elizabeth Barrett developed severe breathing difficulties aged 15 years and shortly after a riding accident left her with a severe spinal injury. These two health problems remained with her all her life.

In 1828 her mother died, and four years later the family business faltered, and her father sold the Durham estate and moved the family to a coastal city. He was stern, protective clothing, and even tyrannical and forbid any of his children to marry. In 1833 Elizabeth published her first work, a translation of the Greek dramatist Prometheus Bound Aeschylus.

A few years later the family moved to London. Her father began sending Elizabeth’s younger brothers and sisters to Jamaica to help with the family business. Elizabeth was unhappy because she openly opposed slavery in Jamaica and on the family plantations and because they did not want her siblings sent away.

Early Writing

In 1838 Elizabeth Barrett wrote and published The Seraphim and other Poems. The collection was in the form of a classical Greek tragedy and expressed her deep Christian sentiments.

Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth’s poor health prompted her to Italy, from her beloved brother Edward, whom she described as an accompaniment to move “Bro”. Unfortunately he drowned a year later in a sailing accident and Elizabeth retuned to London, seriously ill, emotionally broken and hopelessly inconsolable. It was withdrawn for the next five years is limited in her bedroom.