Sonnets from the Portuguese 14

If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
«I love her for her smile... her look... her way
Of speaking gently,... for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day» –
For these things in themselves, Belovèd, may
Be changed, or change for thee, – and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry, –
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.

Sonnets from the Portuguese 43

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! -- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.


I have to compare and contrast these two sonnets. I was wondering if anyone would help me. I need to be able to discuss literary devices such as rhythm, imaginative language, personification, alliteration, etc while tying them into the central theme and meaning of the sonnets.

>discuss literary devices such as rhythm, imaginative language,
>personification, alliteration, etc.

They are (sort of) Petrarchan sonnets. The rhythm of such sonnets is usually iambic pentameter. Said sonnets will normally have a 'volta' (a turn of some kind) after the octave. Sonnet 41 is more like a Shakespearean (English) sonnet, where the turn comes at the penultimate line. Is there a turn/volta in #43? If so, where? If not, support your response.

For imaginative language, see if you can find examples of metaphor, simile, anaphora, hyperbole, oxymoron, paradox, synechdoche, and synesthesia in either or both of the poems. If you cannot, at least you looked. Anaphora should be one of the easiest to spot quickly. For help in understanding these figues of speech, see for example,

[www.poeticbyway.com]

Personification is when inanimate objects or abstractions are given human characteristics. An example might be flowers weeping in the rain, since flowers cannot really weep.

Alliteration is repeating consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby words, such as the L's in 'love me, let it be ...' Assonance repeats vowel sounds in nearby words, such as 'depth and breadth'.

As to meaning #14 is more subtle in its tone. She asking her lover to love her for herself and not for her physical attributes. In #34 the tone is more overwhelming, the love she feels is an everlasting feeling which she says might last past death.


Les