Browning’s poem is based on the Italian Petrarchan sonnet devised in the 14th century. It is split into an octave and a sestet and rhymes a, b, b, a, d, e, e, f, g, h, g, h, g. The poet lived in Italy for many years and wrote a selection of sonnets in this form. The lines, like the Shakespearian have ten syllables.
Sonnet 18 is written with the protagonist addressing his lover. It is written in the first person, and is about her. ‘Shall I compare thee to a Summers day?’ – using ‘I’ to make it seem more personal.
Sonnet 116 is written to an outside audience. It is in the first person, and talks generally about love, and what it is. Titled ‘Let me not’ – using ‘me’ instantly involving himself.
Browning’s sonnet is written to her husband. It is in the first person and deals with her feelings. We find out nothing about her husband. ‘How do I love thee?’ – immediately involving herself.
Sonnet 18 is written in typical poetic language, a little archaic in style (old fashioned) In comparing his lady to a summer’s day, metaphors, similes and personification are all used. ‘Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines’
This metaphor describes the feeling of when the sun gets too hot and the feeling of when love is overwhelming and explains they are equal. It also uses personification describing the heaven having an eye. Natural objects are used: ‘But thy eternall Sommer shall not fade’
This metaphor explains that his love is like the summer but not in the way that she will never fade but the sun does.
Sonnet 116 shares the same language as sonnet 18 but also uses hyperbole in his last rhyming couplet: ‘If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ nor no man loved.’ – to show how accurate he is. An example of his metaphors: It is the star to every wandering barker’ – explaining that love guides us and gives us direction.
Browning. Uses religious and political imagery. Talks of God, soul, saints and Grace. Begins with a question, like sonnet 18. Uses a simile to describe her love ‘I love thee freely, as men strive for Right’, also uses alliteration to show the strength of her feelings, eg “passion put” Uses repetition of “I love thee”. Written like a list, but the most personal of the three poems.
These poems are all strong expressions of love from individual viewpoints, they all deal with love transcending time and death. They all use comparisons to explain what love or the beloved is like. ‘That lookes on tempests and is never shaken’ from sonnet 116, explaining love is something solid and never shaken which is similar to sonnet 116 ‘But they eternall Sommer shall not fade’, explaining love will never fade. This is similar to Browning’s explanation of love ‘I shall love but thee better after death’ – suggesting that she will even love her beloved better after death.
They are conversely different in the way that they are written from 3 different viewpoints. Browning’s was written in the 19th century, Shakespeare’s in the 16th century. Browning’s and sonnet 18 can be called love poems. Sonnet 116 is more of an argument about the nature of love: ‘O no, it is an ever fixed marke’ – debating that if you allow anyone to split you up it is not true love.
All these poems are perfect examples of what a key necessity love is in life and I enjoyed an appreciated every poem. My preferred piece would be sonnet 18, because from his beautiful language and comparisons you can tell that it was written out of pure emotion and experience.
