The title, chosen to disguise the personal nature of the poems by suggesting that they were a translation, was a secret reference for the Brownings to his nickname for her, ‘The Portuguese,’ based on her poem ‘Catarina to Camoens,’ which Browning particularly admired and which portrayed a Portuguese woman’s devotion to her poet lover” (Drabble, 920). Written as a gift for her husband, Sonnets from the Portuguese “describes the growth and development of her love for Robert Browning, at first hesitating to involve him in her sorrowful invalid life, then yielding to gradual conviction of his love for her, and finally rapturous in late-born happiness. Handsomely bound copy of Browning’s renowned sonnet sequence, with numerous beautiful illustrations by Margaret Armstrong, including lovely tissue-guarded frontispiece vignette. Square octavo, contemporary three-quarter blue morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, raised bands, marbled boards and endpapers, all edges gilt. “HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS”: BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE, THE ABEL E.
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