Love Poem

This is a favorite poem of mine. During high school a friend barked to me about doing a homework assignment on it so I took a look to see what the problem was. I liked it, a lot. It struck something in the back of my mind/heart. Maybe it was because it caught me off guard or maybe because it was nontraditional in the love poem sense. This poem could easily be sung to a child from a mother or from any human being carrying that deep, binding connection to another. It's such a pure expression and not flowered with lovey-doveyness (not that a little lovey-dovey isn't welcome every once in a while). In the Greek language there are four different words for our one word "love". They represent the aspects of physical, friendship, affection, and charity. This below poem goes for the charity, I'd say. Whad'ya think?

Sonnets from the Portuguese

XLIII

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

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.

I love thee to the level of everyday's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

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,--I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life!--and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning