Sonnet 16 By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

334 Words2 Pages
In Sonnet 16 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the speaker and her beloved are contrasting figures. The speaker appears to have a doubtful heart with “fears and fling”, and has lived a sorrowful and lonely life, while the speaker’s beloved is described as “more noble and like a king” who is strong enough to prevail against the speaker’s doubts. This contrast depicts a relationship in which the speaker feels inferior and unworthy to love her partner since she views him as a noble, otherworldly being. The imperial language used to portray the speaker’s beloved, such as “noble”, “king”, and “lordly”, exemplify how the speaker perceives her lover as a powerful and ideal being who is almost unattainable for her. Moreover, the descriptions of her lover