How do I love thee?

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 a 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.

Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I can remember my grandmother reading this poem to me. She said that this was a special poem about love. I remember reading it in English Literature years ago. It is about the love of Elizabeth for her husband-to-be Robert Browning. She says that her love rises to the spiritual level. She loves him freely, without coercion; she loves him purely, without expectation of personal gain. She even loves him with an intensity like suffering and with the blind faith of a child. She loves him with the intensity one feels during the innocence of youth, which she lost and and now feels it again for him. And God willing, she will love him eternally.

Such a pure love is something to think about on this Valentine's Day. May you have a day of love.

PS: Post a love photo on HNT. Let's get the site back up and going with body parts (dogs allowed as long as a human accompanies)