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Sonnet XXV: A Heavy Heart, Belovèd

Sonnet XXV: A Heavy Heart, Belovèd

A heavy heart, Belovèd, have I borne
From year to year until I saw thy face,
And sorrow after sorrow took the place
Of all those natural joys as lightly worn
As the stringed pearls, each lifted in its turn
By a beating heart at dance-time. Hopes apace
Were changed to long despairs, till God's own grace
Could scarcely lift above the world forlorn
My heavy heart. Than thou didst bid me bring
And let it drop adown thy calmly great
Deep being! Fast it sinketh, as a thing
Which its own nature doth precipitate,
While thine doth close above it, mediating
Betwixt the stars and the unaccomplished fate.
397

Sonnet XXIX: I Think of Thee

Sonnet XXIX: I Think of Thee

I think of thee!--my thoughts do twine and bud
About thee,as wild vines, about a tree,
Put out broad leaves, and soon there's nought to see
Except the straggling green which hides the wood.
Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood
I will not have my thoughts instead of thee
Who art dearer, better! Rather, instantly
Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should,
Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare,
And let these bands of greenery which insphere thee
Drop heavily down,--burst, shattered, everywhere!
Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee
And breathe within thy shadow a new air,
I do not think of thee--I am too near thee.
364

Sonnet XXIV: Let the World's Sharpness

Sonnet XXIV: Let the World's Sharpness

Let the world's sharpness like a clasping knife
Shut in upon itself and do no harm
In this close hand of Love, now soft and warm,
And let us hear no sound of human strife
After the click of the shutting. Life to life -
I lean upon thee, Dear, without alarm,
And feel as safe as guarded by a charm
Against the stab of worldlings, who if rife
Are weak to injure. Very whitely still
The lilies of our lives may reassure
Their blossoms from their roots, accessible
Alone to heavenly dews that drop not fewer;
Growing straight, out of man's reach, on the hill.
God only, who made us rich, can make us poor.
438

Sonnet XXIII: Is It Indeed So?

Sonnet XXIII: Is It Indeed So?

Is it indeed so? If I lay here dead,
Wouldst thou miss any life in losing mine?
And would the sun for thee more coldly shine
Because of grave-damps falling round my head?
I marvelled, my Belovèd, when I read
Thy thought so in the letter. I am thine-But...
so much to thee? Can I pour your wine
While my hands tremble? Then my soul, instead
Of dreams of death, resumes life's lower range.
Then, love me, Love! Look on me--breathe on me!
As brighter ladies do not count it strange,
For love, to give up acres and degree,
I yield the grave for thy sake, and exchange
My near sweet view of Heaven, for earth with thee!
388

Sonnet XXI: Say Over Again

Sonnet XXI: Say Over Again

Say over again, and yet once over again,
That thou dost love me. Though the word repeated
Should seem "a cuckoo-song,"as thou dost treat it,
Remember, never to the hill or plain,
Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain
Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed.
Beloved, I, amid the darkness greeted
By a doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt's pain
Cry, Speak once more--thou lovest! Who can fear
Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll,
Too many flowers, though each shall crown the year?
Say thou dost love me, love me, love me--toll
The silver iterance!--only minding, Dear,
To love me also in silence with thy soul.
326

Sonnet XXII: When Our Two Souls Stand Up

Sonnet XXII: When Our Two Souls Stand Up

When our two souls stand up erect and strong,
Face to face, silent, drawing nigh and nigher,
Until the lengthening wings break into fire
At either curvèd point,--what bitter wrong
Can the earth do to us, that we should not long
Be here contented? Think. In mounting higher,
The angels would press on us and aspire
To drop some golden orb of perfect song
Into our deep, dear silence. Let us stay
Rather on earth, Belovèd,--where the unfit
Contrarious moods of men recoil away
And isolate pure spirits, and permit
A place to stand and love in for a day,
With darkness and the death-hour rounding it.
388

Sonnet XX: Belovèd, My Belovèd

Sonnet XX: Belovèd, My Belovèd

Belovèd, my Belovèd, when I think
That thou wast in the world a year ago,
What time I sat alone here in the snow
And saw no footprint, heard the silence sink
No moment at thy voice, but, link by link
Went counting all my chains as if that so
They never could fall off at any blow
Struck by thy possible hand,--why, thus I drink
Of life's great cup of wonder! Wonderful,
Never to feel thee thrill the day or night
With personal act or speech,--nor ever cull
Some prescience of thee with the blossoms white
Thou sawest growing! Atheists are as dull
Who cannot guess God's presence out of sight.
366

Sonnet XVIII: I Never Gave a Lock of Hair

Sonnet XVIII: I Never Gave a Lock of Hair

I never gave a lock of hair away
To a man, dearest, except this to thee,
Which now upon my fingers thoughtfully,
I ring out to the full brown length and say
Take it. My day of youth went yesterday;
My hair no longer bounds to my foot's glee,
Nor plant I it from rose or myrtle-tree,
As girls do, any more: it only may
Now shade on two pale cheeks the mark of tears,
Taught drooping from the head that hangs aside
Through sorrow's trick. I thought the funeral-shears
Would take this first, but Love is justified,--
Take it thou,--finding pure, from all those years,
The kiss my mother left here when she died.
413

Sonnet XVII: My Poet, Thou Canst Touch

Sonnet XVII: My Poet, Thou Canst Touch

My poet, thou canst touch on all the notes
God set between his After and Before,
And strike up and strike off the general roar
Of the rushing worlds a melody that floats
In a serene air purely. Antidotes
Of medicated music, answering for
Mankind's forlornest uses, thou canst pour
From thence into their ears. God's will devotes
Thine to such ends, and mine to wait on thine.
How, Dearest, wilt thou have me for most use?
A hope, to sing by gladly? or a fine
Sad memory, with thy songs to interfuse?
A shade, in which to sing--of palm or pine?
A grave, on which to rest from singing? Choose.
416

Sonnet XVI: And Yet, Because Thou

Sonnet XVI: And Yet, Because Thou

And yet, because thou overcomest so,
Because thou art more noble and like a king,
Thou canst prevail against my fears and fling
Thy purple round me, till my heart shall grow
Too close against thine heart henceforth to know
How it shook when alone. Why, conquering
May prove as lordly and complete a thing
In lifting upward, as in crushing low!
And as a vanquished soldier yields his sword
To one who lifts him from the bloody earth;
Even so, Belovèd, I at last record,
Here ends my strife. If thou invite me forth,
I rise above abasement at the word.
Make thy love larger to enlarge my worth.
393

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Identification and basic context

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an influential English poet of the Victorian era. She is best known for her collection 'Sonnets from the Portuguese' and her long poem 'Aurora Leigh'.

Childhood and education

Born into a wealthy family, Elizabeth received an extensive education, including classical languages, which was unusual for women at the time. She was a precocious reader and writer from a young age, though her health was often delicate.

Literary trajectory

Barrett Browning began publishing poetry in her youth. Her 'Poems' (1844) brought her considerable attention. Her marriage to Robert Browning in 1846 marked a new phase, and they moved to Italy. Her masterpiece, 'Aurora Leigh', a novel in verse, was published in 1857, solidifying her reputation.

Works, style, and literary characteristics

Her major works include 'Sonnets from the Portuguese', 'Aurora Leigh', 'A Drama of Exile', and 'Casa Guidi Windows'. Her poetry often explored themes of love, religion, social justice, and politics. Her style is characterized by intellectual depth, emotional intensity, and a rich, often complex, use of language and imagery. She engaged with contemporary social issues, such as slavery and child labor.

Cultural and historical context

She lived during a period of significant social and political change in Britain, the height of the Victorian era. She was part of a literary circle that included figures like Alfred Tennyson and John Ruskin. Her sympathetic views towards Italian unification (Risorgimento) are evident in some of her works.

Personal life

Her relationship with her father was strained, particularly after he disapproved of her engagement to Robert Browning. Their clandestine marriage and subsequent move to Italy were significant events. Her health issues, including chronic respiratory problems, profoundly impacted her life and possibly her poetry.

Recognition and reception

Barrett Browning was one of the most famous and respected poets of her time, even considered by some as a contender for the Poet Laureateship. Her work was widely read and admired by critics and the public alike.

Influences and legacy

She was influenced by poets like John Milton and William Wordsworth. Her 'Sonnets from the Portuguese' are considered among the greatest love poems in the English language. 'Aurora Leigh' was groundbreaking for its blend of social commentary and poetic narrative, influencing later female writers.

Interpretation and critical analysis

Her work is often studied for its feminist undertones, its engagement with political issues, and its exploration of personal and spiritual themes.

Curiosities and lesser-known aspects

She was addicted to laudanum for much of her adult life, initially prescribed for her health problems.

Death and memory

She died in Florence, Italy, and is buried in the English Cemetery there. Her legacy is cemented as one of the most important poets of the 19th century.