Romantic and Spiritual Love

Of course, the central theme of "How Do I Love Thee?" is love, specifically the speaker's love for her partner. However, this love is presented in a unique way, one that engages with the literary history of the metaphysical poets from the English Renaissance (who predate Browning by about 200 years). Throughout "How Do I Love Thee?" Browning alludes to her religious Christian upbringing, as in the lines, "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" (9-12). Here, the speaker suggests that her "childhood's faith" was challenged or lost when she grew into adulthood. She imagines, however, that this romantic bond she shares with her partner has the power to restore that faith altogether, carrying the same weight as...