First World War Poetry Digital Archive

How Do I Love Thee?

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? by WILFRED OWEN I cannot woo thee as the lion his mate, With proud parade and fierce prestige of presence; Nor thy fleet fancy may I captivate With pastoral attitudes in flowery pleasance; Nor will I kneeling court thee with sedate And comfortable plans of husbandhood; Nor file before thee as a candidate.... I cannot woo thee as a lover would. To wrest thy hand from rivals, iron-gloved, Or cheat them by a craft, I am not clever. But I do love thee even as Shakespeare loved, Most gently wild, and desperately for ever, Full-hearted, grave, and manfully in vain, With thought, high pain, and ever vaster pain.

Citation

“How Do I Love Thee?,” by Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918). The Estate of Wilfred Owen. The Complete Poems and Fragments of Wilfred Owen edited by Jon Stallworthy first published by Chatto & Windus, 1983. Preliminaries, introductory, editorial matter, manuscripts and fragments omitted. via First World War Poetry Digital Archive, accessed May 19, 2024, http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/collections/item/3312.

Permitted Use

This item is available for non-commercial educational use under the terms of the Jisc Model Licence. Further details available at: http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/permitteduse