Context

Social and cultural context

• In Victorian England, society expected women to be passionless and submissive, especially in relationships.
• Expressing strong emotions or sexual desire was considered scandalous for a woman.
• The poem was written privately for Robert Browning during their secret courtship, as Elizabeth's controlling father forbade his children from marrying. This privacy allowed for a level of honesty about desire that would have been unacceptable in public.

Literary and biographical context

• Elizabeth Barrett Browning was already a famous and respected poet when she met Robert Browning.
• She lived as a recluse for years due to illness and her father's control, before eloping with Robert at the age of 40.
• The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, a traditional form of love poetry typically written by men about distant, idealised women. Browning uses this form to express a much more direct and physical female desire, challenging literary conventions.

Psychological and emotional context

• The poem asserts female sexual agency in an era that largely denied women had such feelings.
• It explores the idea that obsessive thoughts about a loved one can become a barrier to true connection, replacing the real person with an imagined version.
• Barrett Browning argues that physical presence and sensory experience are superior to abstract or spiritual love, a radical idea that contradicted Victorian ideals of purity.

Overview

Sonnet 29 "I think of thee," in a nutshell

• What literally happens in the poem: The speaker describes how her constant thoughts about her beloved have grown like "wild vines" around a tree, hiding the real person from view. She then demands his physical presence to destroy these thoughts and enjoy a real, sensory connection instead.
• Context and significance: Written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning for her future husband Robert, the poem challenges Victorian ideas about female passivity by expressing an intense, active desire for physical intimacy. It argues that real presence is far superior to imagination.
• Key techniques and approach: Browning uses an extended metaphor [symbolism that continues throughout a text] of vines and a tree to explore her feelings, contained within the traditional structure of a Petrarchan sonnet.

Translation and Browning's intent

Lines 1-8

"I think of thee!—my thoughts do twine and bud
About thee, as wild vines, about a tree,
Put out broad leaves, and soon there 's nought to see
Except the straggling green which hides the wood.
Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood
I will not have my thoughts instead of thee
Who art dearer, better! Rather, instantly"

Translation

• The speaker exclaims that she thinks of her lover constantly.
• These thoughts are like "wild vines" that grow and wrap themselves around her image of him, who she compares to a tree.
• The thoughts grow so thick, like leaves, that they eventually hide the "tree" (the real person) completely. She insists that she does not want these thoughts; she wants him, as he is "dearer, better".

Browning's intention

• Browning establishes the poem's central problem: Obsessive thoughts, while seemingly loving, are actually a negative force that obscures reality.
• The extended metaphor of the "wild vines" suggests her thoughts are natural but have become excessive and uncontrolled.
• The exclamation "I think of thee!" immediately establishes an intense, passionate tone, which is sustained throughout the poem.

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Lines 8-14

"Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should,
Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare,
And let these bands of greenery which insphere thee
Drop heavily down,—burst, shattered, everywhere!
Because, in this deep joy to see and hear thee
And breathe within thy shadow a new air,
I do not think of thee—I am too near thee."

Translation

• The speaker commands her lover to "Renew" his presence immediately.
• She wants him to be like a "strong tree", revealing himself and shaking off the "vines" of her thoughts, letting them fall and be destroyed.
• She explains that when he is physically present, she can experience him with her senses ("see and hear thee", "breathe"), which is so joyful and complete that she no longer needs to think of him because he is right there.

Browning's intention

• This section marks the poem's volta [turning point in a sonnet], shifting from describing the problem to demanding a solution.
• The use of imperative verbs [commands] like "Renew", "Rustle", and "set" shows the speaker taking control, asserting her agency and desire.
• The final line resolves the poem's argument: Physical closeness is the ultimate form of intimacy, making thoughts and imagination unnecessary. The sensory language celebrates an embodied, physical love over a purely mental one.

Writer's methods

Analysing form, structure, and language together reveals how Browning constructs her argument. She uses a traditional poetic form as a container for radical ideas about female desire, making them more acceptable to a Victorian audience.

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Form

The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, a highly traditional form for love poetry. This choice of form is significant in itself.

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Structure

The poem's structure is built around a clear problem and solution, marked by a powerful turning point.

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Language

Browning uses an extended metaphor and sensory language to convey the power of physical love.

What to compare it to

When comparing poems, focus on how poets use different methods to explore similar themes. It is important to make direct links between the poets' choices and the effects they create, considering the context in which they were writing.

Suggested comparisons

• Sonnet 29 "I think of thee," and Porphyria's Lover - Both poems explore obsessive and overwhelming love from a first-person perspective, but present contrasting views on power and desire.
• Sonnet 29 "I think of thee," and Love's Philosophy - Both poets use imagery from the natural world to argue for physical union, but their speakers have very different tones and approaches.

Sonnet 29 "I think of thee," and Porphyria's Lover

Comparison in a nutshell

Both poems, written by the Brownings, explore obsessive love and the desire for total possession of a loved one. However, Elizabeth Barrett Browning presents a joyful, consensual desire, whereas Robert Browning explores a darker, destructive obsession that leads to violence.

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Similarities

Point

Both poets use a first-person perspective to create an intense and intimate emotional atmosphere, exploring a love that is all-consuming.

Evidence and explanation

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Differences

Point

While both poems explore a desire for closeness, Barrett Browning's speaker seeks a mutual, living connection, whereas Browning's speaker enforces a permanent union through violence.

Evidence and explanation

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Endings comparison

Point

The endings of the poems starkly contrast a joyful resolution with a disturbing stillness, highlighting their different messages about love and power.

Evidence and explanation

Sonnet 29 "I think of thee," and Love's Philosophy

Comparison in a nutshell

Both poems use persuasive arguments and natural imagery to express a desire for physical intimacy. However, Shelley's speaker is manipulative and questioning, whereas Barrett Browning's speaker is assertive and commanding.

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Similarities

Point

Both poets use imagery from the natural world to argue that physical union is a natural and divine law.

Evidence and explanation

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Differences

Point

Shelley's speaker uses a series of rhetorical questions to pressure his lover, while Barrett Browning's speaker uses confident commands to assert her own desire.

Evidence and explanation

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Endings comparison

Point

The poems conclude with different emotional outcomes: Barrett Browning's ends on a note of triumphant fulfilment, while Shelley's ends with a frustrated, unanswered question.

Evidence and explanation