Summary of Sonic 29 or "I Think of Thee" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Overview

• Published Date: 1850, as part of a collection of 44 sonnets titled "Sonnets from the Portuguese."
• Background: Written approximately five years before Elizabeth Barrett Browning's marriage to Robert Browning.
• Nature: Intimate and passionate love sonnets tracing Barrett Browning's evolving relationship with Robert Browning.
• Publication Context: Robert Browning's approval led to publication, and the title suggested a false translation to preserve privacy.

Structure and Form

• Form: Loosely follows Petrarchan sonnet structure.
• Lines: Consists of 14 lines divided into an octave and a sestet.
• Meter: Primarily iambic pentameter, with variations including trochees, spondees, and hypercatalectic lines.
• Rhyme Scheme: ABBAABBACDCDCD.

Literary Devices and Themes

• Metaphor: Uses extended metaphor of vines around a tree to symbolize the speaker's consuming thoughts of her lover.
• Language: The use of "thee" for intimacy and anachronistic charm.
• Imagery: Organic growth imagery and religious symbolism with "palm tree."
• Turn (Volta): Occurs earlier than traditional, reflecting impatience and passion.
• Phraseology: Enjambment and rhythm alter the poem's mood, with repeated emphasis on immediacy and presence.

Analysis

• Imagery and Emotion: Describes the tension between the speaker's overwhelming thoughts and desire for physical closeness.
• Poetic Techniques: Changes in rhythm and meter convey urgency and impassioned longing.
• Symbolism: The "palm tree" metaphor and recurrent nature imagery reinforce themes of growth, faith, and renewal.
• Resolution: The final line resolves the tension by prioritizing the lover's physical presence over mere thoughts.

Closing Remarks

• Scholarly Perspective: Interpretations of rhythm and turn placement may vary, emphasizing the poem's dynamic emotional range.

Additional Information

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