There are many similarities between Christina Rosette’s” Remember” and Elizabeth Browning “How do I love thee”
Elizabeth sonnet is about love, but not a loved base on sudden obsessive attraction she uses a more mature sense of love.
“I love thee to the level of everyday’s most quite need, by sun and candle light”
It is much deeper and draws its strength from intimate knowledge of the object of love. She is stating love in a way she as a human can, her love is on the same level as everyone’s mose basic needs…air, water, shelter and love. During the day and night. She is not stating love in a way other poets use love. It is more realistic this is what makes it even more powerful to feel and understand.
Where as in the sonnet “Remember” by Christina, it is simply a repetitive style that reflects the melancholy mood as it explores a more sombre aspect of love and also deals with death Christina was suffering from depression so this illness could explain why her sonnet was written in this theme of sorrow, grief and sadness.
“Remember me when I am gone away”
“Gone far away in to the silent land”
“Remember me when no more day by day”
From the quotes, you can see straight away that it is love fearful of being forgotten so it was probably a strong and long-term relationship, so from how long they have spent together it was most likely something special, it is a quite selfish love that is sad and sorrowful she seems less sure about the greatness and power of love and is almost pleading for her lover to remember her.
However Elizabeth depicts love in a spiritual way, she uses language that shows an almost religious atmosphere with words such as ‘Grace’, ‘praise’ ‘faith’ and ‘saints’ giving love a pure and holy sanctity. She shows how much she loves this person which can be referred to her husband. And how their love is strong and everlasting.
“For the ends of being an ideal grace”
This is spiritual measurement of her love being to the ends of her existence. Ideal Grace is referred to God, she is explaining how their love is eternal full of happiness in his presence. She shows her love to her husband equal to the love of God.
“My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight”
Although she uses a physical way of explaining the love, it is also spiritual, as it relates to her soul, which is body and spirit infused.
“I love thee purely, as they turn from praise”
Modesty turns from praise because it needs it not, they are both different things. She loves him for the sake of love itself, and not to receive any praise because she loves him from the bottom of her heart not for any other reason.
Where as In the sonnet “Remember” Rossetti has shown herself not truly in love because she reveals her feelings in the future tense. It seems like her relationship was about something else rather than love. It could be thought that she must have wanted to stay with her lover forever.
“Remember me when no more day by day”
“To tell me of our future that you planned”
The quotes could tell us that her lover must have also thought that their relationship was going to last forever, because of what he and she were planning for the future. But then it also sounds like a more solemn way of saying it, it can also mean her lover and her are dissatisfied with their relationship so there is no need for future plans.
Furthermore Elizabeth expresses love freely not talking about past and futures except for when she says,
“I shall but love thee better after death”
Which means her love for him will not end at the grave, but, God willing, will continue on eternally.
“I love thee freely”
Elizabeth uses a more mature love of a woman for her husband. She loves him of her own will, and not out of duty. This is the kind of love that is freely given without any force or threat. Men strive for right freely they can do what ever they please, for it is necessary to their happiness it makes them more content.
But Rossetti presents the sonnet more unhappy and uncertain. She is not thinking of her lovers feelings but she directs her thoughts to what must be a very difficult time for her lover towards herself. She seems to think of her lovers feelings more as an after thought.
“Yet if you should forget me for a while”
“And afterwards remember, do not grieve”
She says its better not to remember her as if he is going to be sad for every time he thinks about her. Since she has spent half of the poem pleading with him to remember her!
Overall Elizabeth highlights amore mature way of love for her husband, showing purity and deep spirituality of love.
Where as Christina stresses melancholy about love.
