Both the narrators in "How Do I Love Thee"" (786-787) by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and in "Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone" (787-788) by W.H. Auden express the deepest love for the subjects portrayed in the poems but diverge over the effect that death has on that love. Browning's poem shows an innocent side to love, while Auden portrays what might be considered the harsh realities of love. Both delve into delusions of grandeur concerning the poems' subjects. Yet, Browning's poem is decidedly dramatic and Auden's tends to be everyday with his metaphors. In death, the narrators opposing views become more evident as Browning's puts her faith in God, while Auden's mourns her lover.

Both poems are about the love each narrator feels, and both strive to express how intense this love is. Yet, each author comes from a different angle with the hope of...