Sonnet 29 (WJEC Eduqas GCSE English Literature): Revision Note

Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!'

Below is a guide to Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem 'Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!’'. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Historical and literary context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• Linking the poems: an understanding of how ‘Sonnet 29’ connects to other poems in the Eduqas GCSE English Literature Poetry Anthology

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• An overview of the poem

• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s intention and message

'Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!’' overview

'Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!’', written by the Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, is a sonnet. It was thought to be part of a secret collection written for Robert Browning. The poem expresses the speaker’s thoughts about her absent lover and how she wishes for his presence; she explores longing and physical desire within romantic relationships.

'Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!’' translation

Lines 1-4

Translation

• The poem begins by describing the speaker’s thoughts as if they are vines surrounding a tree which block the light as they grow bigger and broader 

Barrett Browning’s intention

• Barrett Browning compares her thoughts to nature’s wild and unrestrained growth:

  • These thoughts almost consume the tree (which represents her lover)

  • The physical closeness between vine and tree suggests a sensual, even sexual, connection

  • The descriptions suggest her thoughts about her lover are out of control and untamed

Lines 5-7

 Translation

• The speaker shifts tone to explain to him that she prefers his physical presence to thinking about him

• The speaker addresses her listener as a tree to further connect nature with her thoughts

Barrett Browning’s intention

• Here, the speaker suggests she is aware that thoughts of desire can be dangerous if not satisfied

• The speaker’s emotional exclamation explains how much better physical love is to longing

Lines 8-11

Translation

• The speaker gives instructions to her lover and asks him to come back to her

• She asks him to free himself of all the ‘tangles’ of longing and let everything be clear again by shattering the dreams and fantasies 

Barrett Browning’s intention

• These lines suggest his presence would free them both of the restrictions of thoughts and longing

Lines 12-13

Translation

• Here, the speaker explains why she thinks he should return to her:

  • Her reason is sensory: she wants to see and hear him close to her

Barrett Browning’s intention 

• The speaker explains that a genuine, deep happiness will come from seeing and hearing her lover close to her, so much so it will be like a new experience:

  • Barrett Browning presents physical unity as sensual and exciting

Lines 14

Translation

• The speaker explains that if he is with her, she will not have to think of him

Barrett Browning’s intention

• Here, Barrett Browning ends the poem with a clear solution to the problem

• She explains that when they are physically together, she will not have to think of him and long for him

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections: form, structure and language, it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have.

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s intentions behind her choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem presents a female speaker who expresses and explores her feelings of longing for her absent lover. 'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee' is a sonnet, a traditional love poem, although sonnets are not conventionally written by a female speaker. Therefore, the poem offers an alternative perspective to romantic love. 

Structure

The poem mostly follows the typical structure of a sonnet, but subverts tradition with irregularities to present an alternative viewpoint.

Language

Barrett Browning’s poem uses an extended metaphor to compare love and longing to nature. As expected in a sonnet, elevated language is directed to an absent lover to present intense emotions in romantic relationships. 

Historical and literary context

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Elizabeth Barrett Browning or the Victorian era which is unrelated to the ideas in 'Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!’'

The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Barrett Browning which relate to its key themes. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Barrett Browning explores:

• Complex relationships

• Desire and longing

Complex relationships

• 'Sonnet 29 - 'I think of thee!’, by Victorian poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, was written in  the context of a patriarchal, British society:

  • Fathers had control over decisions regarding their daughters’ relationships

  • Society favoured relationships which were respectable, restrained and kept to a strict code of conduct

• Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s father forbade her from marrying Robert Browning, which resulted in a secret relationship, based largely on secret letters:

  • The poems were not shown until after her marriage to Robert Browning, as their content would be considered scandalous

  • Barrett Browning’s parents disowned her after her marriage, illustrating the rebellious attitude of the poet and the strictness of her society

• In this context, the poem, as part of a collection of sonnets (allegedly written to Robert Browning), presents their complex relationship

• Barrett Browning’s poem is in the form of a sonnet, which traditionally featured a male speaker and explored intense love, often unrequited and imbalanced:

  • This poem subverts traditions as it is written by a woman to a man:

    • The poem suggests the speaker has control: she instructs her lover to come to her 

    • This challenges gender expectations which advocated coy, restrained females

  • The poem presents a clear solution to the problematic emotions brought on by frustrated desire and complex love, suggesting a rational speaker:

    • This opposed perceptions within Barrett Browning’s patriarchal society wherein women were seen as incapable of logical thought

Desire and longing 

• Barrett Browning‘s poem was written at a time when British society frowned upon and repressed female sexuality

• The poem subverts gender expectations as the speaker presents powerful emotions, frowned upon in upper-class British society:

  • Barrett Browning’s speaker is excited about love, and frustrated with the lack of physical presence in their relationship:

    • Her exclamations and sensory language present a female speaker with similar emotions to a man, commenting on gender expectations

    • Her allusion to the physical nature of release from the agony of her tangled thoughts shows an unrestrained woman in love

Linking the poems

The Eduqas GCSE English Literature exam asks you to compare two poems from the anthology. You will be given the text of one poem in the question paper, but you will need to compare this with another poem of your choice, one that comments on the particular theme in the question. It stands to reason, then, that it will be a good idea to understand your anthology poems according to their themes.  

Here, you will find a guided list of poems that work well together, and how they are linked by a common theme. Do remember, though, the list below is not exhaustive and themes and ideas often overlap. 

The poems you could link with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s 'Sonnet 29' are:

• 'Dusting the Phone' by Jackie Kay

• 'Cousin Kate' by Christina Rossetti

• 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke

• 'Origin Story' by Eve L. Ewing

• 'I Shall Return' by Claude McKay

• 'Disabled' by Wilfred Owen