How Do I Love Thee Vs. Oh My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose

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A vast majority of poems today, whether written ten, twenty, or even hundreds of years ago are about love. Poetry has long been regarded as a romantic genre that is very personal, which would explain the sentimental verses one may find sprawled across many Valentine’s Day cards (Portable Literature, 634). Some view love as gentle and beautiful, one of the most beautiful experiences of a lifetime, while others would describe it as one of the most painful, most deceiving, and stressful encounters of a lifetime. However, whether the outlook on love is positive or negative, one thing can be agreed upon and that is that it is very, very powerful. Love has a very timeless theme, and no matter the time or place, love may be present. Poets seem to be best at capturing the meaning of love though their perceptions of it can vary greatly. A poem published in 1796, “Oh, My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose”, gives a very dramatic and vivid account of one’s love for another, and “How Do I Love Thee” a poem published in 1850, over fifty years later gives a very brief account of all the ways one loves. These two poems in themselves show just how timeless love is. Poets, through the use of many different literary elements create beautiful, heart-felt pieces that anyone who has ever been in love can relate to. Using many different styles, tones, languages, and also structures a poet can capture your attention and take you to a place inside their mind of feelings, and emotions. One of the most powerful elements of poetry, as well as some others literary works, is tone. In both “How Do I Love Thee” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and “Oh My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns the tone is uplifting and positive in the light of love (Mega Essays, par. 4). It can be felt by simply reading another’s words. In both poems the tone is very deep and passionate while

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