Elizabeth Barrett Browning

10 02, 2020

Gestures of Love

By |2020-02-01T12:19:51-06:00February 10th, 2020|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Time to think about how to show our Valentine love.

French writer François Rabelais offers this suggestion. “Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective, and valuable than words.”

How about these impressive gestures of love?

  • Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to the couple’s 14th child.

 

  • Edward VIII abdicated the throne for American Wallis Simpson. They married in 1937 and spent the rest of their lives in retirement in France. Makes me wonder if Prince Henry’s recent decision to leave the royal family was a gesture of love for his American wife.
  • Elizabeth Barrett Browning composed love poems for Robert Browning during their courtship. “Sonnets from the Portuguese” was published in 1850. That’s where we get the immortal line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

 

  • Joe DiMaggio was married to Marilyn Monroe for only 274 days in 1954. He spent the rest of his life sending red roses to her grave in Los Angeles three times a week.

My love hasn’t built me a Taj Mahal, but he willingly completes honey-do lists.

He hasn’t abdicated a throne, but he promises me he would if he had one to abdicate.

His love notes aren’t published, but the words surpass Ms. Browning’s sonnets.

I won’t be around to see if he leaves flowers on my grave, but he surprises me often with a lovely bouquet.

I considers all his gestures comparable to those of the people above.

How will you share Valentine love? Are you willing to share some awesome romantic gesture you’re planning or have received?

11 02, 2015

Four Passionate Romantic Gestures

By |2015-02-11T06:00:39-06:00February 11th, 2015|Holidays|3 Comments

According to French writer François Rabelais, “Gestures, in love, are incomparably more attractive, effective, and valuable than words.”

With Valentine’s Day this weekend, I expect romantic gestures will abound. Every year at this time sales of red roses and chocolates will soar. Couples share candlelight dinners.  Expensive jewelry is exchanged. All very romantic things to do to express love for one’s sweetheart.

I’m wondering how whatever gestures of love are made this weekend can conpete with these:

Shah Jahan’s Taj MahalTaj Mahal

Around 1632 Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal—with its elaborate minarets, 250-foot-high domed mausoleum and 42-acre grounds—as a tomb for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to the couple’s 14th child. When he died in 1666, he was buried beside her.

Edward VIII’s Abdication of the Throne edward and wallie

King Edward the VIII became the most romantic English royal of all when he fell in love with American Wallis Simpson. Forced to choose between love and crown, Edward abdicated the throne in December 1936. Simpson quickly divorced her husband to marry Edward the following year. They spent the rest of their lives in retirement in France.

browningsElizabeth Barrett Browning’s Love Sonnets to Robert Browning

The love between poets Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning is one of literature’s greatest romances. In 1850 Elizabeth Barrett’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese,” a series of love poems composed when the pair first began their courtship was published. “Sonnets from the Portuguese” includes the immortal line, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

Joe DiMaggio’s Flowers for Marilyn Monroemarilyn monroe

Married to Marilyn Monroe for only 274 days in 1954, Joe DiMaggio remained infatuated with the legendary blonde bombshell for the rest of his life sending red roses to her grave in Los Angeles three times a week for the next twenty years.

Over the years, my very romantic husband has given me some incredible wonderful gifts of love.

He’s not built a Taj Mahal, but a lovely home in the forest I dearly love sharing with him.  He  hasn’t abdicated a throne, but if he were royalty, he tells me he would. He has written love poems, and given me Hallmark cards, that equal or surpass Mrs. Browning’s sonnets. And, though I won’t be around, I can see him leaving me flowers. He surprises me frequently with a lovely bouquet,

How about you have you received some awesome romantic gesture(s) of love you’d be willing to share?

14 02, 2013

Love words are in the air today – Ten quotes you can use

By |2013-02-14T17:58:30-06:00February 14th, 2013|Judythe Morgan blog, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day|6 Comments

I hope you read my Valentine blog on Monday and you have already gifted your someone special with a homemade valentine today.

In case you need some love words to use before the day is gone, here are ten of my favorite Valentine quotes.

• I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help. There is no mistaking love. You feel it in your heart. It is the common fiber of life, the flame of that heats our soul, energizes our spirit, and supplies passion to our lives. It is our connection to God and to each other. -Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, The Wheel of Life

• “kisses are a better fate than wisdom.” -e.e. Cummings
(I love any of e.e. Cummings words. I mostly love that he doesn’t capitalize.)

• “Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.” -Robert Browning

• “A bell is no bell ’til you ring it,
A song is no song ’til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay –
Love isn’t love
‘Til you give it away.”
-Oscar Hammerstein, “You Are Sixteen” from the film Sound of Music

• “For twas not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart.
Twas not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” -Judy Garland

• “True love never lives happily ever after – true love has no ending.” -K Knight

• “Love and magic have a great deal in common. They enrich the soul, delight the heart. And they both take practice.” -Nora Roberts

• “For you see, each day I love you more. Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.” -Rosemonde Gerard

• “Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds hearts together.” -Unknown

Lastly, no blog on love words would be complete without the words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How do I love Thee?”

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

26 04, 2012

Poem in MY Pocket Today…

By |2012-04-26T14:45:26-05:00April 26th, 2012|poetry, Uncategorized|8 Comments

Poetry plays a huge part of the romantic journey my husband and I travel, especially the poetry of Elizabeth and Robert Browning. You’ll find the words from the Browning’s poems not only in our pockets but other places too.

Around our garden, on stepping stones.

In framed silhouettes of us done at Montmartre Art Colony in Paris with the words of Rabbi Ben Ezra by Robert Browning between our figures.

On a  special cross-stitched picture which hangs above his dresser.

In case you can’t read the small print, the first line of Rabbi Ben Ezra says, “Grow old along with me, The Best is Yet to Be.”

My pocket poem today is a love poem Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote to Robert in 1845 that carries extra special meaning for my husband and me.

Listen as I read  Sonnet XLIII from Sonnets From the Portuguese to Jerry and you from my porch swing.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death. 

Now go find a love poem to put in your pocket and read it to someone special yourself…

Go to Top