Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem is striking because it is so straightforward. She is a woman that does not want her heart played with, and would rather the man be upfront on his feelings than trying to appease her with fluffy compliments. Although every woman has the desire of being adored, she wants his attention for "love's sake only" (2). Appreciating her smile, or laugh, her tone of voice, or her overall look is of little importance to her because she knows those qualities are capable of changing or fading away. She wants the man that is interested with her to love her out of love, because love is able to last for eternity if it is real.
Browning does not describe love, like the feeling she expects him or herself to get when they see each other, but she expects them to just know that it is love because it just is. There should be no reason why they feel this way for each other; the love just exists. She is telling this man that she will allow him the time to be with her only if he is able to feel this way, She is aware that love is a difficult thing and it cannot be contrived or controlled and she does not want the love that she experiences to be bent and construed so that it fits the mold of what love should be.
I admire how Browning is taking initiative, and she is not allowing the guy to manipulate the situation, instead she is setting the ground rules and if the guy that is interested cannot meet these standards, he is obviously not the right man for her because the ideal man for her will easily understand these goals.
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