Question

select the correct answer.
in this poem, what is the significance of the poet’s comparison of love to \childhood’s faith\?
sonnet 43
by elizabeth barrett browning
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 every day’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 the 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.
a. the speaker expresses longing for her childhood.
b. the speaker has had faith in love since childhood.
c. the faith and trust of childhood is the strongest.
d. religious faith is strongest in childhood.

Explanation:

The comparison links the speaker's love to the unshakable, innocent, and wholehearted trust that defines childhood faith. This emphasizes that her love is pure, unwavering, and as deeply felt as the unquestioning belief of a child, not about longing for childhood, lifelong faith in love, or religious faith in childhood.

Answer:

C. The faith and trust of childhood is the strongest.