How Do I Love Thee?

a pre-valentine artwork

V- day "freedom wall"

this poem, "How Do I Love Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is my favourite poem of all time, immediately next to "Desiderata" . according to my web sources, "It formed part of the Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnets from the Portuguese", written in her Italian days at the Casa Guidi. It is addressed to her husband, who used to call her 'My little Portuguese" as she was dark.

and since today is valentine's day i find this poem most fitting to be posted in my blog along with pre-valentine photos that i took a day before.

How do I love thee?

-- 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 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.

how do i love thee? i cannot count the ways...