A Valentine’s Month Wake-Up Call
How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43) 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 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.
Here we are in February 2025, swooning over Elizabeth’s famous words while a third of USA third graders can’t even read well enough to understand them. Talk about a reality check. Today it was confirmed by Elon Musk and others across various media platforms (like X, Fox News, Sky News Australia) that the US Department of Education has been dismantled.
As a proudly South African author who could read when I went to school at age 6 (thanks Mommy!), I suspect many of us will be looking at a Valentine’s Month that hits differently.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
You see, when you read: “I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life;” these lines hit different when you realize that our global education system, not just the USA’s, is struggling to breathe. How can we share the joy of reading when basic literacy is becoming a luxury rather than a right?
The Poetry-Education Connection
Think about it – Barrett Browning didn’t just word-vomit her feelings onto paper. It was an intense, passionate expression of her love for her beloved – her husband Robert – because she had the education to turn her emotions into something structured and beautiful. As if she built a love skyscraper instead of just throwing bricks around. That’s what good education does – it gives you the tools to build something amazing with your thoughts and feelings.
Now look, I’m not trying to be a downer during love month, but there’s something seriously ironic about hanging Valentine’s poems in classrooms where many kids can’t even read them! It’s like putting a gourmet meal in front of someone and not giving them a fork – the good stuff is right there, but they can’t access it.
Moving Forward: A Love Letter to Learning
Want to know what real love looks like in 2025? It’s fighting for education. It’s making sure kids can read – not just Valentine’s cards – but whatever would help them prosper. Barrett Browning counted the ways she loved because she had the tools to do it. Maybe our greatest act of love this February isn’t buying flowers or chocolates – it’s making sure everyone has access to the power of words.
Taking Action
Even romantasy novels are filled with the importance of literacy and I take my hat off to someone like Sarah J. Maas for giving a main character the flaw of being illiterate. The struggle is terrible and very real and, as I binge read through her Court-books, I felt the utter frustration. I can just imagine what a young, insecure child must feel like – especially once they grow up and their world “notices” their shortcoming…exploits them. A shortcoming that could’ve been prevented.
So… Let’s make this Valentine’s Month about more than just a public display of hearts, flowers and viral videos. Let’s talk about how we can support literacy in our communities…. pay it forward. Teach a child to read with your spare time or take a less fortunate one with you to a real library! All children know how to swipe a smart phone by the age of two but honestly, what’s more romantic than fighting for someone’s right to read their beloved’s love poems one day?
With much literary love,
Zee