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READ THIS
In this sonnet, Shakespeare reflects on the sad things in his past -- an action which makes him feel
sadder.
He remembers unfulfilled desires, people who have died, people he has loved, and things he is no longer
able to look at. His mood is restored, however, once he thinks about his friend.
ABOUT THE POET
William Shakespeare -- commonly known simply as "The Bard" -- was born in April 1564.
Although he lived a mere 52 years, he has won for himself the reputation of being the greatest of all
English poets and playwrights.
He grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon where, at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had
three children.
Modern scholars love to question whether or not he was actually gay -- such is the energy-sapping
research of these scholars.
Indeed, scholars would later come to question not only his sexual stance but also whether or not it was
he who actually wrote all the works attributed to him.
The Bard established a most successful career for himself in acting and in writing for the stage. Ultimately
he became the part-owner of The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a theatrical company which eventually
came to be known as The King's Men.
In his early years in theatrics, Shakespeare focussed his attention on writing comedies and histories. Only
later did he produce a series of tragedies such as Hamlet, Macbeth and King
Lear, the works for which he is preeminently known.
Although he wrote two lengthy narrative poems as well as several other shorter ones, his reputation as
a poet was established through his amazing collection of sonnets -- 154 in all.
Indeed, his particular style of sonnet, commonly known as the Elizabethan form, is also referred to simply
as "the Shakespearian sonnet".
In about 1613, he returned to Stratford-upon-Avon and died there in April 1616.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"When to the sessions of sweet silent thought."
- In the light of what Shakespeare says about reflecting on the past, explain why this line is
ironic. (2)
[Need help?]
The poet refers to these thoughts as "sweet", so thinking about the past brings him pleasure; yet
he goes on to say that they make him feel so sad that he starts to cry. Very strange.
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"I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste."
- Identify and account for the figure of speech in these lines. (3)
[Need help?]
The ALLITERATION in the repetition of "w" emphasises the extent to which the poet's grieving over
the past has become repetitive. It highlights that he is unable to let go even though he thinks he has
moved on.
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"For precious friends hid in death's dateless night."
- Account for Shakespeare's use of the word "hid". (2)
[Need help?]
If something is hidden, it is out of sight, concealed. The poet uses the word to emphasise that no matter
how much or where he looks, these friends are lost to him. He will never see them again. The word helps
to convey the finality of death.
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"And moan the expense of many a vanished sight."
- Why would the "vanished sight" be an expense? (2)
[Need help?]
The poet refers to something he will never see again. It is an "expense" because he spent time
on it. Now that it is no longer there for him to look at, he feels it has been a waste.
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- Identify and explain the function of the figure of speech in "the expense" -- in other words, how
is it used? (4)
[Need help?]
It is a METAPHOR which will be extended into the rest of the sonnet.
The poet compares spending money with spending time looking for something. In this case it was an
expense because he can no longer look at it. This is similar to someone spending money on an item that
gets lost or is stolen -- one feels that it was a waste of money.
The metaphor is extended into a comparison with bookkeeping (accounting), as conveyed by the words:
"sad account"; "pay as if not paid"; "losses are restored". Even the word
"heavily" in line 10 echoes the saying: to suffer heavy losses.
Shakespeare uses the metaphor to explain that feeling sadness is like paying out money, but when he
thinks of his friend, "all losses are restored" -- in other words, his expenses have been repaid and
the books have balanced.
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"And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoanéd moan"
- Why has Shakespeare chosen to use the word "heavily"? (2)
[Need help?]
The word "heavily" means to carry something of great weight. It has connotations of being weighed
down by some burden or sorrow.
The use of the word expresses how intensely sad, depressed, morbid and dejected the poet feels: he
feels weighed down by his sadness.
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- Explain the purpose of the apostrophe in "o'er" and the stress mark in
"bemoanéd". (4)
[Need help?]
The apostrophe in "o'er" is used to replace the "v" in the word "over". Shakespeare
has used it to reduce the word by one syllable to maintain the regular number of beats in the line.
"Over" has two syllables and would have added an extra beat.
The punctuation used with "bemoanéd", adds a syllable to the line since the "ed" is
pronounced as a separate syllable. The addition of the syllable is to keep to the regular line rhythm, i.e.
10 syllables per line.
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Shakespeare chooses words like "woe" (four times), "wail", "weep" and "moan"
(three times).
- Discuss his reasons for using these words. (4)
[Need help?]
These are all words which conjure up feelings of sadness, misery and depression. The repetition of these
emotions emphasises his severely dejected state.
These are also all onomatopoeic words that are extremely mournful sounds, usually associated with great
tragedy. It is as though the reader can also hear Shakespeare's misery as he laments his situation.
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Discuss how Shakespeare has utilised the structure of this Elizabethan sonnet. (6)
[Need help?]
This is an Elizabethan or Shakespearian sonnet since it is divided into three quatrains and ends with a
rhyming couplet.
The first quatrain deals with the dejected feeling that overcomes him when he remembers sad things and
unfulfilled desires from the past.
In the second quatrain, he relates how he weeps for dead friends, lost loves and things he cannot see
anymore.
In the third quatrain, Shakespeare conveys how reflecting on past hurts which have already been
forgotten, makes him morbid all over again.
The rhyming couplet is introduced by the word "But" which clearly indicates a change in his attitude.
He no longer indulges in a pity-fest. Instead, he confesses that merely thinking about his dear friend
terminates all sad thoughts. Balance has been restored to his life.
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