AVDA - 3.. (well, almost)

Since V-day was last week, I was trying very hard to come up with something to say about it - to at least acknowledge all the consumer, money-sucking opportunistic businesses, lovey-dovey, stoopidly sappy ppl out there. 

However, I had a tough day... so was finding it hard to find anything to write about. 

Then something interesting came to mind... It is quite a roundabout way as to how this 'something interesting' came to mind... but nevertheless, the journey in itself is interesting...

So, it all began when someone sent me a link of Barenaked Ladies' One Week music video. Now why this person sent it to me, I will have no clue... but then as I was watching it, I was reminded that it was one of the songs from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You... 

And then! I was reminded that there were many references to Shakespeare and his works in the movie, after all, the movie was a modern adaptation of one of his famous works - Taming of the Shrew. Incidentally, this was the movie that made me fall deeply in love with Shakespeare, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. I am still in love with Shakespeare though I may not labour over his works as I used to in the past. Richard Burton, well... he is dead and Elizabeth Taylor, as gorgeous as she was then, now scares me. 

Anyway... so many references to Shakespeare were made in the movie... HOWEVER, there was a slight boo boo in the movie (unless of course it was intentional). On the poster of the movie - it says - how do I loathe thee, let me count the ways... which is a definate twist to one of the all time famous love poems - How do I love thee, let me count the ways. 

Yes, I cannot emphasise enough that I am not a sap, but I am a lover of literature, and based on that, I thought itwas a very nice romantic poem. Almost can be substituted as a marriage vow actually... But the only thing is, it was not written by Shakespeare but Elizabeth B. Browning. 

So anyway, for no aparent reason, I decided to google for the poem... 

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

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 everyday'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 a 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.

Now this is the interesting part... When Elizabeth wrote "I shall love thee better after death" whose death was she referring to? Hers or her lover? Cos it just seems like quite an oxymoron... 

First she talks about how her lover is like her oxygen and carbohydrate and all that jazz, and then she sums up by saying, she will love him even more after death - regardless whether his or hers, it is almost like a rejoicing... 

Hmmm.... 

Even if you were to go back to the vows, it does say "till death do us part" therefore, correct me if I am wrong, it means the love will last as long as death does not seperate the couple. So in Browning's poem's case... how can you love someone more when the person is already dead? Unless... you love the person now, but hey, it is so much better when that person is dead that you love that person more!

A longer hmmm...

Or maybe, I am so sick and the flu meds that I am drowning myself in has gotten my brain so fuzzy and I am not making sense... 

A slightly longer hmmm... 

Think it is time drug myself and crawl back under the covers...