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 candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men might 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.
- Elizabeth Barret Browning
The sonnet relates directly to the character of Blanche in a Streetcar named Desire, as she tells Mitch that the lyrics engraved on the cigarette box that he has, are part of her favorite sonnet by Barret. It is ironic because the box comes from his old love that died, and Blanches big love died too, forming another connection between the two of them. The sonnet describes the life of Blanche very precisely when it states that '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'. Her old griefs are the loss of her husband, as well as the loss of her pride and youth. The childhood's faith refers to a time where she was still able to love and trust someone with all her heart. The sonnet talks of losing this love, which relates directly to Blanche's inability to love again. She too, has loved someone as she has never loved anyone before in her life, and she describes: "It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in the shadow, that's how it struck the world for me." More than the memory of being in love, she remembers very well to what extent she has been hurt by this 'young' man. She found out that he was homosexual after thinking that he was the love of her life, shattering her into little pieces. It seems as though Blanche has never gotten over the fact that she might be in some way responsible for the suicide of her dead husband, which is why she never found a man to trust again. Hence the line "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" (178).
The sonnet is also a projection of Blanche's dreams, as she wishes more than anything to have somebody to love. She wants to marry, and not be an old maid forever. This is why the inscription on Mitch's box comes like a sign to her that he is the right man for her. They're in a similar situation, but history seems to repeat itself a little bit, as Mitch is described to us as a man that still lives with his mom, that isn't as manly as his friends, and who actually shows emotions and the wish to marry. Blanche chose again a man that is more sensitive, a man that resembles her homosexual dead husband. The poem represents a perfect love story of someone who loves someone unconditionally, portraying an unlikely and surreal situation, especially in the context of Blanche's life. She is mentally damaged but she still dreams of something pure and perfect. The sonnet emphasizes on the contrast between dream and reality just like Blanche is playing different roles to fit an ideal and ends up destroying herself.
Saumya touched on a very interesting point in her blogpost Pay no Rent about the sonnet in relation to the play. She says that the poem reflects the struggle that Blanche deals with in her life. She deals with death, heartbreak and loss and all these feelings and obstacles are reflected in the poem. I didn't think of it this way before, so I was very grateful for Saumya's blog post. Go check it out!
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 candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men might 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.
- Elizabeth Barret Browning
The sonnet relates directly to the character of Blanche in a Streetcar named Desire, as she tells Mitch that the lyrics engraved on the cigarette box that he has, are part of her favorite sonnet by Barret. It is ironic because the box comes from his old love that died, and Blanches big love died too, forming another connection between the two of them. The sonnet describes the life of Blanche very precisely when it states that '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'. Her old griefs are the loss of her husband, as well as the loss of her pride and youth. The childhood's faith refers to a time where she was still able to love and trust someone with all her heart. The sonnet talks of losing this love, which relates directly to Blanche's inability to love again. She too, has loved someone as she has never loved anyone before in her life, and she describes: "It was like you suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in the shadow, that's how it struck the world for me." More than the memory of being in love, she remembers very well to what extent she has been hurt by this 'young' man. She found out that he was homosexual after thinking that he was the love of her life, shattering her into little pieces. It seems as though Blanche has never gotten over the fact that she might be in some way responsible for the suicide of her dead husband, which is why she never found a man to trust again. Hence the line "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" (178).
The sonnet is also a projection of Blanche's dreams, as she wishes more than anything to have somebody to love. She wants to marry, and not be an old maid forever. This is why the inscription on Mitch's box comes like a sign to her that he is the right man for her. They're in a similar situation, but history seems to repeat itself a little bit, as Mitch is described to us as a man that still lives with his mom, that isn't as manly as his friends, and who actually shows emotions and the wish to marry. Blanche chose again a man that is more sensitive, a man that resembles her homosexual dead husband. The poem represents a perfect love story of someone who loves someone unconditionally, portraying an unlikely and surreal situation, especially in the context of Blanche's life. She is mentally damaged but she still dreams of something pure and perfect. The sonnet emphasizes on the contrast between dream and reality just like Blanche is playing different roles to fit an ideal and ends up destroying herself.
Saumya touched on a very interesting point in her blogpost Pay no Rent about the sonnet in relation to the play. She says that the poem reflects the struggle that Blanche deals with in her life. She deals with death, heartbreak and loss and all these feelings and obstacles are reflected in the poem. I didn't think of it this way before, so I was very grateful for Saumya's blog post. Go check it out!
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