“If Thou Must Love Me” ElizabethBarrett Browning became a well-known poet before she met her future husband Robert Browning in 1845. Before that time, she had been an invalid and a recluse. Although her father was vehemently opposed to their marraige, the couple eloped in Italy. It was here that Barret Browning wrote a series of sonnets for her husband which were published in 1850 under the title Sonnets from the Portuguese. Among these poems, “If Thou …showed first 75 words of 422 total…

…showed last 75 words of 422 total…separate thoughts and keep the meaning clear. There is parrallelism in line three in “her smile-her look-her way.” These also emphasize these traits. The idea of love for love’s sake is a romantic ideal that many people seek. I have shared the same fears of changing love as Browning. I have learned, I believe, to love for love’s sake and am much happier for it, making this poem seem quite personal. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**