Discuss the portrayal of love and relationships in any three poems.

The poems that I have selected to portray the idea of love and relationships all incorporate contrasting thoughts to show the many different aspects of love and relationships. The poet achieves this in the use of language, structure and the form, which is chosen to present the ideas. Elizabeth Barrett Browings’ “Sonnets from the Portuguese” presents the idea of pure, unconditional and eternal love, whereas “Remember” by Christina Rossetti, conveys an alternate idea of bitterness that love and relationships can lead to. “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning displays again a different side of love and relationships. The demonstration of obsession, possessiveness and materialistic views within the poem convey the different aspects of love and relationships.

“Sonnets from the Portuguese” uses the traditional form of the Italian petrachan sonnet to present the theme of love and relationships discussed within the poem. The poet, to develop the argument of the different stages of love, uses this traditional form of sonnet. This allows for a change in tone or mood as the sonnet is broken down into two sections, the octave and the sestet, containing eight and six lines respectively. This was a traditional way to present the expression of love in the Victorian era.

From the opening line, the poetic voice portrays the joy and delight felt by this kind of love and relationship. This is presented to the reader in the form of the rhetoric question, “How do I love thee?” The tone conveyed is one containing happiness showing this love to be as such. This sets the tone of the poem to portray love to be joyful. In the portrayal of love, the poetic voice conveys how it to be boundless as:

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

The language of this abstract image portrays love to be inconfinable. This is emphasized by “when feeling out of sight” as the image of the love is portrayed as being further that can actually be seen which accentuates the boundless image of love. The poetic voices’ “soul” adds to the this image as a soul is not an object which can be contained within the body as it knows no bounds, and so the portrayal of love can be viewed as eternal. This image also depicts the magnitude of love as the language of “depth and breadth and height” shows how vast the love the poetic voice feels. The structure is a vital tool to the poet when portraying love and relationships in the poem. The poem itself is written in iambic pentameter and it is this structural point that enforces “depth” and “breadth” and “height” to be verbally stressed. This enforces the idea of the endless boundaries and the magnitude of love and relationships have within this poem. The accentuation of these words highlights them within the line making them key words and stand apart from it. This enforces the portrayal of love and relationships within the poem. Another structural point is the use enjambment; this can highlight many aspects of love and relationships, which are trying to be conveyed. The enjambments of:

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

adds to the portrayal of love knowing no limits at both enjambments. The lack of punctuation also serves a structural purpose. The lack of punctuation of “ I love thee to the depth and breadth and height” reiterates the boundless image of love, as the punctuation cannot disrupt the line and so is elongated.

Enjambment is also used to portray a different aspect of love being described within the poem. The enjambment of:

I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

This works as an anti-climax. The enjambment builds the reader up to the anticipation of love being compared in great magnitude again, however the language contrasts this pre-conception as the love is now presented to the reader at a realistic level. This is can be seen, as love is shown to be also the “Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.” The portrayal of love is shown to be adaptable and how it can just contain the companions “Most quiet need.” The poetic voice demonstrates the importance of companionship of the relationship here as well and how the love of the relationship is adaptable to each other’s need “by sun and candle-light.” The contrast between the boundless love described previously, to this image of day and night, “by sun and candle-light” also highlights the realistic level that the poem has been brought down to and so conveys a real image of love and relationships.

The portrayal of the purity of love and relationships discussed is emphasized when the poetic voice describes how “ I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.” This shows the purity, as men who have praised God are pure. By comparing love and relationships to this, the poetic voice presents the purity being portrayed in the love and relationships.

The traditional Italian petrachan form is split into one octave and sestet. The following sestet shows a change in the tone of the portrayal of love and relationships. This type of sonnet is dependant on the rhyme scheme to highlight the structural point of a change in argument. The rhyme scheme of the octave shows a pattern of ABBCDDA, whereas the sestet follows a rhyme scheme of ABABAB. The octave described the present but this sonnet form allows the poet to show a different argument and so the sestet contains reference to the past and to the future. By including the past, present and future, the tone of love and the relationship can appear to the reader as everlasting and it is this, which can echo the magnitude of love.

The portrayal of love and relationships in the sestet presents to the reader a comparison to poetic voices’ past. The portrayal of how “I love thee with… my childhood’s faith” show how the innocence and purity of the relationship and love, but also the child like quality of unconditional trust that is evident. This trust is also accentuated by the religious themes, which have been woven into the poem such as “ I love thee freely, as men turn from Praise” as religion is upheld, by trust and belief. The religious comparisons also convey love to be a religious experience, this is shown in the octave, as the poetic voice compares the relationship and love to “ideal Grace” which, conveys the idea to the reader of ultimate beauty or an ideal state of being.

The love and relationship is conveyed by the hope and faith that the past has brought to the poet, which, has now been recapitulated. This can be shown by the comparison to how “ I love thee…With my lost saints,” This can illustrate the aspect of hope and faith in the relationship and love, as a Saint is a symbol of a restorer of hope. This may show that the poetic voice has had past relationships, learnt, and experienced from them in hope and faith and it is this quality, which the poetic voice can bring to the love and relationship

The sestet also demonstrates how love and relationship portrays to be realistic. This is conveyed in the range of emotions that are used as the poetic voice states “ I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!” The punctuation elongates the line verbally as the commas cause a brief pause, this has the affect of slowing the pace of the line, which, accentuates the range emotions and may also portray how the poetic voice wishes to continue to feel these emotions throughout life. The exclamation mark shows how bold this statement really is and enforces how serious the love and the relationship is, however it may also illustrate the excitement and joy felt and reiterated by the poetic voice. The line also centers the relationship and love to be the pivotal point of the poetic voices’ life in which, everything evolves around it. This presents to the audience the idea of love and the companion in the relationship to be eternal. This strong relationship, which has become evident throughout the poem is finally imposed as “if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.” This communicates how the strength of the love and relationship will allow it to be eternal and everlasting.

“Sonnets from the Portuguese” demonstrates how love and relationships can be pure, eternal and unconditional. However, this is only one characteristic that love and relationship can have and show.

“ Remember” by Christina Rossetti contrasts the aspects of love and relationships portrayed in “ Sonnets from the Portuguese”. “Remember” demonstrates the bitterness of love and of the relationship in the Italian petrachan sonnet form. This sonnet form contains a range of intense emotion and, in selecting this sonnet form; these emotions are carefully contained, adding to the intensity. The irony within the poem can be presented to the reader, as this sonnet form is a traditional way of expressing love. However, the sonnet is expressing love to be bitter and so adds to the irony. This subtlety adds to the idea that often what is on the outside is not the same as reality.

The portrayal of love and relationship in the first reading of this poem appears to be content. It is, however, only on the second reading of this poem that the illustration of this love and relationship to be bitter. This bitterness is conveyed to the reader in a number of ways. The idea of possessiveness in the relationship is presented to the reader on many occasions, “When you can no more hold me by the hand”. This image depicts the love and relationship to be one-sided and it is this image, which is further compounded by the use of language such as “You tell me…. that you planned”.

The love and relationship is also depicted by the poetic voice in negative terms, which, can add to the idea of the bitterness. The use of strong negatives such as “ Remember me when no more day by day” emphasizes the feeling of unpleasantness in the relationship. The repetition of “day by day” emphasizes the fact that this feeling was not just in once in while, but was always there within the love and the relationship. The enjambment of:

Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned:

Also can reiterate to the audience the length of the unhappiness and bitterness of the relationship.

The repetition of the strong negative “no more” through out the poem can highlight how the companion in the relationship cannot behave towards the poetic voice in the way that was evident within the relationship. By describing the love and the relationship in negative terms, the portrayal of these themes to the reader can illustrate the aspect of the negativity and the unlikable side of love and relationship.

The structure of the poem can also draw attention to the possessiveness and bitterness portrayed in the love and relationship. The poem is written in iambic pentameter and it is this, which shows the main ideas of the themes of this poem. In the monosyllabic line “You tell me of our future that you planned”, due to iambic pentameter, when spoken verbally, “You” is stressed above the “our”. This depicts and compounds how the love and relationship was one sided as the singular is stressed.

Throughout the octave, there are several warnings, which are clear from the poetic voice. These warnings can demonstrate the bitterness felt by the speaker in the portrayal of the love and the relationship. The veiled warning of:

Only remember me: you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray.

This direct warning shows the unsatisfactory nature of the relationship felt by the poetic voice and again, the structure can play a vital role in portraying the themes, which the poetic voice wishes to convey. The enjambment of this line emphasizes the tone of unhappiness in the relationship as the poetic voice allows for no interruption and so is directing the control. This shows the unhappiness in the relationship as the struggle for control is present as opposed to the equality and joy in love and relationship portrayed in “Sonnets from the Portuguese”.

The poet can use structure to highlight themes from the poem in order to portray the love and relationships discussed within the poem. The rhyme scheme of the octave of ABBAABBA echoes the control that the poetic voice now has. The change in the rhyme scheme in the sestet shows the change in argument that the sonnet form allows. This sestet urges the companion to forget the relationship as:

Yet if you forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

The poetic voice here presents to the reader that the relationship had reached such an unhappy level that it was actually better to forget than to remember. However, it also serves as a subtle reminder to the companion about the pain in the relationship caused and, therefore, it causes too much pain to have any desire to remember.

The poetic voice portrays to the audience what the relationship was actually like. The love and the relationship are described to be based around “darkness and corruption” and this bitterness is further enforced, as even if “a vestige of the thoughts” were left, then it would be:

Better by far that you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad.

This presents to the audience how awful the love and relationship aspects were, that even if a trace of it were left, to forget everything would be better than to remember. These last two lines that end the poem add to the irony. The poet echoes how on the surface these two lines to be of a forgiving tone but by studying closer, it is evident that the poetic voice may actually be subtlety presenting to the audience and to the companion how the relationship and the love was so corrupt, unpleasant and unhappy that to forget is the only possible option.

The portrayal of love and relationships within “Remember” demonstrates the differing aspects and tones, which can accompany such themes. The different expression of love and relationships portrayed shows how bitter love can be. It also highlights how different love and relationships can actually be in reality as opposed to fist view on the surface.

“My Last Duchess” portrays another contrasting aspect of love and relationships using language, structure and form. This poem depicts the possession, obsession, jealousy, control and materialistic ideas that can occur within these themes. The form differs from the previous two poems as it is written in dramatic monologue; this is where one person is speaking aloud. The speaker of the monologue inadvertently reveals two sides to the story, which are depicted through the deformation of his own character.

The first theme of love and relationship, which is portrayed in the poem, is the possession that can emerge. This is presented to the reader mainly through language and is highlighted on a number of occasions throughout the poem. The possessive noun used in “That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,” not only shows how the relationship and love was possessed by the speaker but also how the Duchess is referred to as an object. This is highlighted as the “Duchess” has been “painted on the wall” demonstrating how the speaker now has total possession. The “Duchess” has also been placed at the same level as the speaker other object as “Notice Neptune, tho’ Taming a sea-horse…cast in bronze for me.” The further accentuates the fact that the speaker has total possession over his objects and also shows his lack of respect. This conveys o the reader the idea of possession within love and relationship as the Duchess is not her own person, but is owned.

The portrayal of possession in love and relationships is further reiterated as it becomes evident that the event is actually premeditated. This can be portrayed to the reader as the speaker tells, “Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said ‘Frà Pandolf’ by design” The speaker actually forces the servant of his future father in law to listen, making this a purposeful action, and so, therefore, further restates the possession being portrayed in the love and the relationship.

The theme of jealousy is also portrayed in love and relationship within the poem. As the speaker tells his story, he deforms his own character and reveals the jealousy felt in the love and the relationship. This is demonstrated as he describes how “she smiled, no doubt, Whene’er I passed her: but whom passed without Much the same smile?” This shows how the speaker disliked being treated equally, and marks the jealousy of the relationship and love, as it is evident that to smile at anyone was unacceptable behavior.

The portrayal of love and relationship to contain obsession can be presented to the audience in a number of ways. The fact that the speaker has total possession over the “Duchess” in the form of a painting demonstrates how obsessed he is, as he constantly says “Will’t please you sit and look at her?” and forces people to sit and listen to his story. The obsession felt is further accentuated as “(they) seemed as they would ask me” The speaker has complete control and has allowed no one to interrupt, this suggests how the speaker has become completely obsessed and paranoid with the love and relationship, as it is evident, that he cannot stop thinking about the “Duchess”.

The control of the love and the relationship can be presented to the reader in this poem, demonstrating an alternate aspect of theses themes. This cannot only be presented through language, but also through structure. The structural point of rhyming couplets such as:

For calling up that spot of joy. She had A heart…how shall I say?…too soon made glad

Illustrates how the speaker has complete control over the speech, which he presents, as all the rhyme scheme of the speech is rhyming couplets. The punctuation of “This grew; I gave commands: Then all smiles stopped together.” Presents to the reader the idea of control that he possess, as the short clauses, separated by the semi-colon demonstrate the power the speaker has over the speech as what he says is exact. This may however, also show how this attack or speech is pre mediated, adding further to the idea that the relationship and the love he had, had qualities of obsession and control. The full stop can also reveal the power and complete control, which the speaker has. The control that is present in the relationship and love is also highlighted by the use of language. It is evident that the speaker ahs compete control over the duchess as “The curtain I have drawn for you, but I”. The speaker now has the ability to control who sees the Duchess, as before he describes her “looks went everywhere. Sir ‘twas all one”. The speaker is clearly trying to disgrace her character with, ironically, the opposite effect. As the speaker can control “The curtain”, he can control the love and the relationship.

The materialistic theme of love and relationships is also portrayed throughout the use of language and structure. This can be highlighted as “My gift of a nine hundred years old name With anybodies gift” shows the materialistic impression that can be conveyed, as the speaker believes his name to be an important factor of the relationship. This is presented to the audience through the tone of outrage within his voice that is conveyed, suggesting that his name has up most importance within the love and relationship and should, therefore be respected. This tone of outrage is presented to the audience through the structure of the line. The lack of punctuation of “My gift of a nine hundred years old name With anybodies gift” reveals the outburst as the lack of control that is conveyed through the lack of punctuation demonstrates his mood. The speech throughout has been controlled, and so this sudden lack of it can convey to the audience the outrage. The speaker also demonstrates how the materialistic aspect of love and relationship was not only a contributing factor to the marriage of the Duchess, but also will be present in the new marriage. This is presented to the reader as:

Is ample warrant that no just pretence Of mine for dowry will be disallowed; Those his fair daughter’s self… Is my object.

The speaker shows how he cares about the dowry over his new “object” as the placement of dowry is before his new wife. This can demonstrate the materialistic side of love and relationship. It also shows how the possessive characteristic of love and relationship is continued into the next marriage, as even now the daughter is described as “my (the speakers) object”. This may show the self-perpetuating characteristic of love and relationship, as a foreseeable end is not presented.

“My Last Duchess” presents to the reader the negative aspects of a relationship of love. The jealousy, possession, control and materialistic characteristics are conveyed and show how it can lead to conflict.

To conclude, by presenting the differing aspects of love and relationships, a true image is revealed. Love and relationships alone are not always joyful, eternal and “ideal” but also can feature “darkness and corruption”. To experience love, is to experience a range of emotion, from joy to pain, charitable to possession and “ideal Grace” to (perhaps) death. Love and relationships present an idea of a great life experience, one that we should all gain. As Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “It is better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all”.