Vocabulary in Sonnet 43 — How do I love thee?

An old-fashioned word meaning 'you,' used in poetry and religious language of earlier centuries to address one person directly and intimately.

To list or name each individual manner or form of something; here, the speaker means she will go through every distinct kind of love she feels.

The measurement of how far something goes downward or inward; used here as a spatial image for how profoundly and intensely the speaker's love reaches into her soul.

The measurement of how wide something extends from side to side; used here alongside depth and height to suggest love that stretches in every possible direction.

Reaching or searching beyond what the eyes or ordinary senses can perceive; the speaker describes her soul stretching toward invisible, spiritual limits.

Existence itself in its deepest, most fundamental sense — not just physical life but the full reality of what it means to exist, used here in a spiritual or philosophical way.

A perfect, divine goodness or beauty beyond human reach; 'Grace' here carries a religious sense of God's blessing or moral perfection, and 'ideal' means it exists as a flawless concept rather than anything earthly.

Without conditions, demands, or selfish motives; the speaker means her love is given as a pure gift with nothing expected in return.

In a way that is completely clean of selfish or impure intentions; the speaker emphasizes that her love is morally untainted and wholehearted.

The act of expressing admiration or worship, especially toward God; used here to describe the devoted, almost religious quality of the speaker's love.

In this poem, an intense suffering or grief endured in the past, echoing the religious sense of Christ's suffering; the speaker says she loves with the same deep feeling she once put into sorrow.

Moments of joy and happiness in ordinary daily life; the speaker includes these alongside breath and tears to show her love is woven into every small, everyday experience.

In whatever existence follows the end of earthly life; the speaker promises that her love will not end when she dies but will continue and even grow stronger beyond death.

An older form used to express a firm promise or certainty about the future, stronger than simply saying 'will'; here it underlines the speaker's absolute conviction.

Used here in an archaic sense meaning 'only' or 'simply'; the line means 'I will only love you better after death,' stressing that death changes nothing except to deepen the love.