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1[[quoteright:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Elizabeth-Barrett-Browning_Poetical_Works_Volume_I_engraving_6387.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:205:The love of Robert Browning's life, and he was hers.]]
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4Forty-four love sonnets by [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian era]] British poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
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6Written in 1845–46 after she met fellow poet Creator/RobertBrowning and before they married, the sonnets remain among the most popular love {{poetry}} of all time. The collection was published in 1850 as being translated "from the Portuguese" in order to provide some measure of privacy for the Brownings.
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8The most famous sonnet is undoubtedly number 43 (especially its first line):
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10->How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.\
11I love thee to the depth and breadth and height\
12My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight\
13For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.\
14I love thee to the level of everyday's\
15Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.\
16I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;\
17I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.\
18I love thee with the passion put to use\
19In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.\
20I love thee with a love I seemed to lose\
21With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,\
22Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,\
23I shall but love thee better after death.
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25The complete work is now in the public domain, and can be found on [[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2002/2002-h/2002-h.htm Project Gutenberg]].
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27----
28!!These poems provide examples of:
29* IKissYourHand: In issue 38, Elizabeth counts as their first kiss Robert kissing her hand.
30-->First time he kissed me, he but only kissed\
31The fingers of this hand wherewith I write;\
32And ever since, it grew more clean and white.
33* PlausibleDeniability: Claiming that the poems were translated from Portuguese. There is also a stealth reference in there. As "My Little Portuguese" was a pet name Robert gave to Elizabeth.
34* RavenHairIvorySkin: Elizabeth describes her hair as very black and her skin as pale-white.
35* UndyingLoyalty: In number 43, Elizabeth declares her body will die, but her love will not.
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