“It will be late to counsel then or pray
Yet if you should forget me for a while”
Here the definite difference is clearly visible between the first eight and the last six lines. The first eight lines convey the poet’s emotions about how her love should carry on remembering her when she has departed however the last six lines contradicts what has just been written at the beginning. The poet in the poem can be seen as rather selfish and pitiful, she is the weaker one in the relationship therefore she should be remembered. But, in the last few lines we see a whole new person involve and turn into a heroic but yet independent women.
The style also plays a vital part to the overall emotive affect of the two poems. In Browning's unique style she begins by asking the question, How do I love you and answers by saying,
“let me count the ways”
This sets the reader up for the different ways Browning has found to love. She then begins to explain all the unobvious ways to love another human being, including the
“level of every day's use”
She uses the fact that "men strive for right" to illustrate how freely she can love, which is an exceptional use of parallelism. Browning's style seems to follow a chronological order of how she can love, as evident in
"I love thee with a love I seemed to lose..."
Browning must have loved before, if not she is imagining how it would have been to be deeply in love with someone and then to loose him. Also, the fact that Browning writes that she loves with all her life and plans to love even more after she dies is a huge statement in support of her undying love (lines 12-14). Browning's creative style is a necessity and definitely adds to the creation of her strong purpose of love in this sonnet.
Rossetti’s sonnet commences in a totally different way to Browning’s. Where the former starts off with the question, the latter actually gives us the essence of the whole sonnet in the first line.
“Remember me when I am gone away”
This line in itself makes us aware that the poem is about a woman trying to prepare her lover for her departure. The pureness and depth of her love is apparent to us in the next few lines.
“…hold my hand,
Nor I half turn…”
These phrases expose the yearning she is expecting to experience when she is separated from her lover. She is already feeling the inability to make any physical contact and the desire to turn back but she knows she can’t. The emotive language used instantly makes the reader aware of the strong relationship between the two lovers and the desolation they both will face when one has deceased.
The importance of touch is mentioned, when just a touch of the lover's hand is enough to make the poet very happy and content within herself. This is a very traditional poem in it is the man who dominates, it shows that she does have great respect for male authority, which was typical in the time in which the poem was written. The poem may suggest that the couple of whom are the main focal point may be young adults that are trying to plan there near but distance future together and the closeness they once had
"you tell me of out future".
But, then they part and all they have left is distant memories.
The poem takes a big diversion at the end of the eight line. The poet then seems like she is given up trying to put across her point and feels that she has reached the end. The poet ends the poem with these last few words
"you should forget and smile"
It does seem that she tries to make her the most important person in the relationship now that she's gone. Half way through the poem Rossetti desperately stresses again to be remembered this could be that, she was more infatuated with him than he was with her. This could suggest signs of insecurity or could even have been her first love and does not want to let go of what she once had
"only remember me: you understand"
a pledge for help could be another reason for her obsession with her lover. All of these love-binding words constructed to make it a deep meaningful and romantic poem, shows how important and powerful love is or can be. Even more so when you lose someone close to you.
‘A Birthday’ also by Christina Rossetti follows the same style of writing. Although not a sonnet, it is quite visible from the beginning what the poem is about. Christina Rossetti ties in birth and death within her poems. This is very much evident if we analyse ‘Remember’ and ‘A Birthday’. ‘Remember’ leads on to talk about death whereas ‘A Birthday’ concentrates birth and shows us the lover feels that being with her lover in like the birth of the best day of her life.
There is no change in emotion or the change isn’t that obvious in these poems. Whereas in ‘First Love’ by John Clare there each stanza focuses on a different point. The first one is all about Physical Reactions which experienced during first love.
“My face turned pale as deadly pale.
My legs refused to walk away”
The physical changes which took place whilst experiencing first love is portrayed in this stanza. The second stanza the reader is informed of the internal/psychological reactions which he went through.
“..my blood rushed to my face”
Here we can see how the young adolescent blushes at the sight of a girl who he has immediately fallen in love with. The third stanza sums up the whole poem and notifies us that the young adolescent is finally realising that love will never be for him.
In "How Do I Love Thee", Browning uses word choice as a method of portraying her message to the reader.
"I Love thee with the passion put to use"
is a strong descriptive sentence using distinctive word choice, to solidify the feelings of love.
"Passion put to use",
can only mean one thing, making full use of one's passion, which the reader feels as very strong love. Another example of Browning's strong word choice is in line two of the poem,
"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height…”
Browning doesn't just say "I love thee a lot", she paints a picture in the mind of the reader of an almost never-ending vastness of love. The adjectives put to use in line two, incorporate all aspects of the physical realm; up, down, and around, to truly impact the reader. The word choice put to use by Browning unlocks knew doors in the path readers take in the development of the poem.
In ‘Remember’, Rossetti uses euphemism to add emotion to the poem. This takes on a great effective and gives the poem an almost surreal feeling. “Death” is once again referred to here but as
“the silent land”.
The euphemism used here almost softens the blow of death. It’s as if Rossetti is trying to portray a lover preparing her partner for her departure but want to do it gently.
The atmosphere created by this technique is almost heavenly. Rossetti makes many references to religion in her poem and the atmosphere created reflects this. Despite this there isn’t much of an atmosphere created in either of the poems. Whereas the atmosphere created in ‘Villegiature’ by Edith Nesbit gradually builds up throughout the poem. At first the scene is set.
“White-curtained shone, and softly lighted:”
Here a very romantic scene is set for us and we are expecting a romantic fell to the poem. This atmosphere is continued throughout the rest of the poem. Whilst the reader is engrossed in this atmosphere the last few lines
“I did not – till you ghost had fled –
Remember how you always bore me!”
Here we are brought crashing into reality and the expectations we had from the atmosphere created is condemned.
Both ‘Remember’ and ‘How Do I Love Thee?’ do not employ many poetic devices to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the poem. But the few devices used add depth to the poems.
The only poetic device used in ‘Remember’ is repetition but this repetition adds meaning to the poem and helps to portray the actual message. Repetition is used in this poem in two occasions. From the first introductory line the poet outlines that she has gone far away and is reminding him of what they both once had shared. When the poet stresses the term
"gone away",
using repetition, it does suggest that she may return but, it defiantly does not stress that she has gone forever. However, whilst the poem enfolds the words used create the idea of emotions involved in I LOVE YOU the relationship, the couple once were together at the beginning and they are separate at the end.
Repetition is also used on the word remember many times. This stresses the whole essence of the sonnet and contributes in the tension and atmosphere being created.
‘How Do I Love Thee?’ uses a few more poetic devises that ‘Remember’. Hyperbole is used throughout the poem to take the poem that one step higher and to create atmosphere among the poem. Listing in threes is used very effectively in this poem.
“I love thee to the depth, breadth and height”.
Here listing in three is used instead of says ‘I Love You very much’. This use of listing in threes is very emotive and helps to create a more passionate feeling and adds to the whole atmosphere of the poem.
Browning's spectacular "How Do I Love Thee?", may at first seem vague, but with a more thorough approach the reader can gain new insight into Browning's purpose. Browning uses her unique style and word choice to spice the poem and give it flavour, while the sonnet format keeps the poem simple. Browning proved her excellence and innovativeness as an author, in the multi dimensions of "How Do I love Thee?". Rossetti’s heart-touching ‘Remember’ filled with eupimism portrays the strong passionate love one has for her lover which would carry on even after death. Rossetti’s religious approach to this sonnet gives it an almost heavenly feel adding to the fervent love one has for her lover.
