Elizabeth Barrett Browning Sonnet 13
Sonnet 13 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning says that the beloved wants the speaker to tell him of her love for him, but she is hesitant because she is afraid that she cannot appropriately relay her sentiments. The speaker first compares herself attempting to express her love for her beloved as holding “a torch out, while the winds are rough” because she believes that there is risk in conveying her emotions. She then states that she drops the torch “at thy feet” because although her beloved wishes for her to write a poem about her love for him, she is afraid that she is unable to properly put her feelings into words. Her words of love for him are “hid in [her] out of reach” because she cannot articulate her deep, intense emotions. Additionally,