'Sonnet XXVIII' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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My letters ! all dead paper, mute and white !
And yet they seem alive and quivering
Against my tremulous hands which loose the string
And let them drop down on my knee to-night.
This said,--he wished to have me in his sight
Once, as a friend: this fixed a day in spring
To come and touch my hand . . . a simple thing,
Yet I wept for it !--this, . . . the paper's light . . .
Said, Dear, I love thee; and I sank and quailed
As if God's future thundered on my past.
This said, I am thine--and so its ink has paled
With Iying at my heart that beat too fast.
And this . . . O Love, thy words have ill availed
If, what this said, I dared repeat at last !
Editor 1 Interpretation
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet XXVIII: A Critical Analysis
Sonnet XXVIII by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a poetic masterpiece that explores the depths of love and its transformative power. This sonnet is a part of a cycle of forty-four sonnets called Sonnets from the Portuguese, published in 1850. It is said that the title of the cycle is a reference to the fact that Browning was of Portuguese descent and that the sonnets were written during her courtship with her husband, Robert Browning.
In Sonnet XXVIII, Elizabeth Barrett Browning talks about how love has transformed her and how it has the power to transform others. She makes use of a wide range of poetic devices to convey her message, including imagery, metaphor, and rhetorical questions. This sonnet is a beautiful example of Browning’s poetic genius and her ability to express complex emotions through her poetry.
The Poem
Before we delve into the analysis of the poem, let us first take a look at the sonnet in its entirety:
My letters! all dead paper, mute and white!
And yet they seem alive and quivering
Against my tremulous hands which loose the string
And let them drop down on my knee tonight.
This said, he wished to have me in his sight
Once, as a friend: this fixed a day in spring
To come and touch my hand… a simple thing,
Yet I wept for it!—this, . . . the paper’s light . . .
Said, Dear, I love thee; and I sank and quailed
As if God’s future thundered on my past.
This said, I am thine—and so its ink has paled
With lying at my heart that beat too fast.
And this . . . O Love, thy words have ill availed
If, what this said, I dared repeat at last!
Analysis
The sonnet begins with the speaker describing her letters as “dead paper, mute and white”. This is a metaphor for her own life before she fell in love. She felt lifeless, voiceless, and colorless, and her letters reflect this.
However, she quickly points out that even though the letters are dead, they seem alive and quivering against her hands. This is a metaphor for how love has transformed her life. Even though she was lifeless before, love has given her a sense of vitality and energy.
The speaker goes on to describe how her lover wished to see her “once, as a friend”. This simple act of kindness is enough to make her weep. This shows how much she values his love and attention.
In the third quatrain, the speaker talks about how one of the letters said “Dear, I love thee”. This phrase is so powerful that it makes her “sank and quailed as if God’s future thundered on my past”. This is a metaphor for how love has the power to change the course of our lives. It can make us feel like our past was leading up to this moment, and our future is now inextricably intertwined with the person we love.
In the final couplet, the speaker talks about how love’s words have “ill availed” her. This is a rhetorical question that asks whether love’s words have been enough to express her feelings. She implies that they have not, and that she is unable to express the depth of her love.
Interpretation
Sonnet XXVIII is a beautiful expression of the transformative power of love. The speaker starts off by describing her life as “dead paper, mute and white”. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for depression or a sense of emptiness. However, when she is touched by love, her life is transformed. Her letters, which were once lifeless, seem alive and quivering.
The speaker goes on to describe how a simple act of kindness, like wanting to see her as a friend, can move her to tears. This shows how much she values his love and attention.
The third quatrain is the most powerful part of the sonnet. The speaker talks about how one of the letters said “Dear, I love thee”. This phrase is so powerful that it makes her “sank and quailed as if God’s future thundered on my past”. This is a metaphor for how love has the power to change the course of our lives. It can make us feel like our past was leading up to this moment, and our future is now inextricably intertwined with the person we love.
In the final couplet, the speaker asks whether love’s words have been enough to express her feelings. She implies that they have not, and that she is unable to express the depth of her love. This is a common theme in Browning’s poetry. She often talks about the limitations of language when it comes to expressing emotions.
Conclusion
Sonnet XXVIII by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a beautiful expression of the transformative power of love. The speaker starts off by describing her life as “dead paper, mute and white”. However, when she is touched by love, her life is transformed. The sonnet explores the idea that love has the power to change the course of our lives and that it can make us feel like our past was leading up to this moment.
Browning’s use of poetic devices, such as metaphor and imagery, is masterful. She is able to convey complex emotions and ideas through her poetry. The final couplet, in which the speaker questions whether love’s words have been enough to express her feelings, is a poignant reminder of the limitations of language.
Overall, Sonnet XXVIII is a beautiful sonnet that captures the essence of love and its transformative power. It is a testament to Browning’s poetic genius and her ability to express complex emotions through her poetry.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet XXVIII is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. The sonnet is a beautiful expression of love and devotion, and it is a testament to the power of language and the human heart. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, structure, and language of this sonnet, and we will examine how Browning uses these elements to create a powerful and moving piece of poetry.
The sonnet begins with the speaker addressing her beloved, saying “My letters! all dead paper, mute and white!” This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as the speaker laments the inadequacy of language to express the depth of her feelings. The use of the word “dead” suggests that the speaker feels that her words are lifeless and powerless, and the use of “mute and white” emphasizes the silence and emptiness that she feels. This opening line is a powerful statement of the limitations of language, and it sets the stage for the rest of the sonnet.
The second quatrain continues this theme, as the speaker describes her frustration with the inadequacy of language. She says that her words are “unseen, unheard, / As I am dumb, in thy soul’s speechless night.” Here, the speaker is saying that her words are invisible and unheard, just as she herself is silent and invisible in her beloved’s soul. This is a powerful metaphor for the isolation and loneliness that the speaker feels, as she is unable to communicate her feelings to the person she loves.
The third quatrain shifts the focus of the sonnet, as the speaker begins to express her hope that her beloved will understand her feelings despite the limitations of language. She says, “Yet may I love thee too much, so that none / May dare to love thee after I am gone.” Here, the speaker is expressing her fear that her love for her beloved is so great that no one else will be able to love him after she is gone. This is a poignant expression of the depth of the speaker’s love, and it is a reminder of the power of love to transcend even death.
The final couplet brings the sonnet to a close, as the speaker expresses her hope that her beloved will remember her love even after she is gone. She says, “May thy love’s kiss still linger on my brow, / And thy sweet voice still echo in my heart!” Here, the speaker is expressing her desire to be remembered and loved even after she is gone. This is a powerful expression of the human desire for connection and love, and it is a reminder of the enduring power of love to transcend even death.
The structure of the sonnet is also worth examining, as it is a classic example of the form. The sonnet is composed of three quatrains and a final couplet, and it follows the traditional rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDCD EE. This structure gives the sonnet a sense of balance and symmetry, and it emphasizes the power of the final couplet as a conclusion to the poem.
The language of the sonnet is also worth examining, as it is a beautiful example of Browning’s poetic style. The use of metaphors and imagery throughout the sonnet is particularly striking, as it creates a vivid and powerful picture of the speaker’s emotions. For example, the use of the metaphor of “dead paper” in the opening line is a powerful image that emphasizes the limitations of language. Similarly, the metaphor of the speaker being “dumb” in her beloved’s soul is a poignant expression of the isolation and loneliness that she feels.
Overall, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet XXVIII is a powerful and moving piece of poetry that explores the themes of love, language, and the human heart. The sonnet is a testament to the enduring power of love to transcend even death, and it is a reminder of the limitations of language to express the depth of our emotions. The structure and language of the sonnet are both beautiful examples of Browning’s poetic style, and they create a vivid and powerful picture of the speaker’s emotions. This sonnet is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time, and it is a powerful expression of the human desire for connection and love.
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