Question

Sonnet from the Portuguese, Number 14:

If Thou Must Love Me

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, Beloved, 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 mayst love on, through love’s eternity.

Question:

2. What images does the speaker use to indicate possible causes for loving? What kind of images are they? How does the speaker explain why they should be rejected?

Answer 1

The possible cause for loving are physical beauty, charm,gentle smile,thoughts,emotions and vitues.But these resins are only momentary or for short time.On the other side eternal love last long forever.

•   The poet Elizabeth Browning does not like love which is based on beauty, wealth, thinking, smile, emotions or virtue compatible. She forbid her lover to show love for those reasons. For his love. She wants love her for the sake of love only not for any other materialistic reason.She wants only eternal love.