Sonnet 29 'I Think of Thee': Summary and Analysis with Quotes

Summary

"Sonnet 29: I think of thee!" (1850) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is part of her collection "Sonnets from the Portuguese," a series of love sonnets written to her future husband, Robert Browning. This particular sonnet stands out for its intense emotion and vivid imagery.

The sonnet expresses the speaker's deep longing for her beloved. She compares her thoughts of him to wild vines that might strangle a tree, illustrating the intensity of her love. However, she then shifts to wishing to be in his presence, where her thoughts would be less overwhelming and more akin to the tree's leaves and shade, providing comfort and sustenance.

Form

The poem is a Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet, consisting of 14 lines. It follows the traditional structure of an octave (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the final six lines). The octave presents a problem or question, while the sestet provides a resolution or response.

The poem follows the rhyme scheme ABBAABBA for the octave and CDCDCD for the sestet.

It is written in iambic pentameter, with ten syllables per line, and a regular pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables.

Setting

The setting is not physical but rather emotional and psychological, focusing on the inner world of the speaker and her feelings for her beloved.

Themes

Intensity of Love: The overwhelming nature of the speaker's love and thoughts.

Longing and Desire: The deep yearning for the beloved's presence.

Nature and Love: The use of natural imagery to represent love and emotions.

Motifs

Natural Imagery: Vines, trees, and leaves are used to symbolise love and thought.

Light and Shadow: Represents the presence and absence of the beloved.

Contrast between Absence and Presence: The difference in how the speaker feels when thinking of her beloved versus being with him.

Analysis with Quotes

The Intensity of Thoughts of Love: "I think of thee!—my thoughts do twine and bud / About thee, as wild vines, about a tree" - The comparison of her thoughts to wild vines illustrates how her love grows uncontrollably and intensely, almost threatening to overwhelm her.

Analysis with Quotes

Longing for Presence: "Put out broad leaves, and soon there's nought to see / Except the straggling green which hides the wood" - This imagery suggests how her thoughts, in his absence, grow so much that they hide the reality of him, indicating a longing for a more tangible, present connection.

Analysis with Quotes

Shift from Absence to Desire for Presence: "Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood / I will not have my thoughts instead of thee" - Here, the speaker shifts from describing her overwhelming thoughts to expressing a desire to be in his physical presence, comparing her beloved to a palm tree, a symbol of resilience and grace.

Analysis with Quotes

The Comfort of Togetherness: "Who art dearer, better! Rather, instantly / Renew thy presence" - The speaker wishes for the renewal of his presence, which she values more than her thoughts of him, showing her desire for the comfort and joy found in togetherness.