If thou must love me, let it be for nought except for love's sake only.
Meaning
In this sonnet she asks to be loved for who she is, not for a smile or a passing charm that might fade. It is a useful test for any relationship: ask whether affection depends on conditions, and practise valuing someone's whole self, including the unglamorous days.
Source: Sonnets from the Portuguese (1850)
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About the author
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) was an English Victorian poet, best known for Sonnets from the Portuguese and Aurora Leigh. Her love poems to her husband Robert Browning remain among the most celebrated in English.
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