| "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) |
| 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 everyday'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 a 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. |
While generally not a fan of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I do love this poem. It takes one of man's most prized emotions and weaves it into the fabric of life. I've often heard the expression "I love you but I'm not in love with you" and it seems to me that people who say things like that have completely missed the the point. Love is not just an emotion; love is the act of being. It becomes of part of your sense of self and colors everthing around it. This is the kind of love that stands the test of time and it is truly sad that society today conditions people to reject this kind of love. Selfishness is the norm and the selflessness of this kind of love is scoffed at as weak and old-fashioned. How sad.
1 comment:
Well said, my dear. Well said. I love that poem too. People forget that love is so much more......more than attraction, more than infatuation........it's life.
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