He had a right to be dogmatical,
This poor, good Romney. Love, to him, was made
A simple law-clause. If I married him
I should not dare to call my soul my own
Which so he had bought and paid for: every thought
And every heart-beat down there in the bill. . . .

In these lines from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Aurora Leigh," Aurora reflects on the nature of Romney's love. To him, love is transactional and legalistic, akin to a contractual obligation. Aurora perceives that marrying Romney would mean losing her independence and autonomy, as if every aspect of her being—her thoughts and emotions—would be owned by him. Her soul, she implies, would be part of a metaphorical purchase, reducing her to an asset rather than a partner. This insight underscores Aurora's desire for a life of her own choosing, where her identity is not subsumed by marriage. It highlights a central theme of the poem: the quest for self-fulfillment and the challenge of balancing personal ambitions with societal expectations.