Hello, To stare usually means to look very intently at something - even without blinking. Often it is negative "That man is staring at me". To gaze is usually used in a much more positive way. "I gazed at the beautiful painting". "The woman gazed lovingly at her husband" To contemplate usually implies that there is a thought process involved. For example if you are looking at the text in a book you may say "I was contemplating the words on the page". I hope that makes sense!