How do I love thee?
Elizabeth Barrett Browning&nbsp;(1806-61)
Sonnet 43 from Sonnets From the Portuguese, c1846
In January 1845, Robert Browning wrote to the poet, &ldquo;I love your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett.&rdquo; She replied, &ldquo;I thank you, Mr Browning, from the bottom of my heart&rdquo;. So began a correspondence that led to their first meeting and eventually to their marriage on 12 September 1846. It was only after the birth of their son in 1849 that Elizabeth showed her husband the sonnets she had secretly written during their courtship, including &ldquo;How do I love thee? Let me count the ways&rdquo;