Exploring Love in Sonnet 42 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

What makes Sonnet 42, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, a love poem?

Do you mean Sonnet 43 - How Do I love Thee?

Final answer:

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet 42 is a love poem because it employs the sonnet form to delve into the theme of love, using the structure of an octet and sextet with a significant volta to express the complexities and nuances of love.

Sonnet 42 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is considered a love poem because it adheres to the characteristics of a sonnet, which is often a vehicle for expressing love. This sonnet in particular features two stanzas, an octet and a sextet, with a defined rhyme scheme that lends itself to the exploration of love. The structure of a sonnet, which includes a volta or turn of thought, is used to highlight the complexities and nuances of love, delving into emotions and personal reflection that go beyond mere unrequited love.

Love poems, especially those structured as sonnets, have a long tradition of exploring deep emotional content. Given the strict conventions of sonnet forms such as the Petrarchan or Shakespearian, the choice to use this form underscores the poet's desire to engage with the theme of love in a manner that is both disciplined and creative. The sonnet's form and content, therefore, work together to produce an effect that resonates with readers on the subject of love.