Sonnet 141 - William Shakespeare

Sonnet 141 by William Shakespeare

“In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But ’tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who, in despite of view, is pleased to dote.

Nor are mine ears with thy tongue’s tune delighted;
Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited                                   

To any sensual feast with thee alone:

But my five wits nor my five senses can
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,
Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be:

Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain.”

 

Sonnet

A sonnet is a poem of 14 lines. It is a fixed verse form from Italian origin.  It express a deep thoughts and feelings and follows a disciplined rhyme scheme.  It was developed by an Italian poet, Giacomo da Lentini.  First it was introduced by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Early of surrey in the 16^th century. Then it became popular by the Elizabethan English poets specially William Shakespeare in particular.  English sonnets follow three quatrains, and ends with a couplet.  They follow a proper rhyme pattern so as to give an emotional impact.

 Summary

Sonnet 141 is dedicated to the Dark Lady.  She is the mistress, the main character of Shakespeare’s sonnet 141. It describes the struggle of the speaker’s sense and his heart, between his feelings and his emotions.  His lover is not pretty looking and her voice is not pleasing and her smell or touch are not perfect to attract but he loves her so devotedly and his feelings towards her cause so much pain yet he is not ready to give up.  It is one of the best of Shakespeare’s sonnets that explores the theme of “love against hate, eye against heart.”  First part of the
quatrain explores the displeasing appearance of his lover to any.  But he see beauty in her.  Then he accepts that he is not controlled by his senses.  He is taken away by his emotions.

 

Detail Analysis

 “In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But ’tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who, in despite of view, is pleased to dote.”

 The speaker starts the sonnet with his confession.  He openly says that he does not love her with his eyes as he could see so many (thousand) flaws in her physical appearance.  He is honest to confess that she is not pretty to attract any.  But it does not matter for it’s his heart which loves her.  His heart longs for her.  He feels inside for her. He is happy to ignore her appearance as his feelings are strong for her.

“Nor are mine ears with thy tongue’s tune delighted;

Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited
To any sensual feast with thee alone:”

His confession continues.  He describes her voice as it is not so pleasant for his ears.  “Tongue’s tune delighted” is an interesting description to bring out her unpleasant voice. She doesn’t possess any pleasing qualities.  There is no taste or smell to desire her.  But he feels strong for her as his feelings are not for her appearance.  He is not excited about her looks, he is enjoys every moment of her thoughts.  He could not think of spending time with her in person.   His feelings for her is not for physical pleasures, but is beyond her physical appearance. He cannot help loving her

 

“But my five wits nor my five senses can
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,
Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be:”

 The poet says all his five wits such as his imagination, desires, instinct, common sense and his five senses all become still before her.  They could not stop loving her. His foolish heart longs for her.  His foolish hear has turned him to be a slave and it is under her spell as a wretch (unlucky person).  He is beyond his control as his feelings are too strong and it stops him think.

 “Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain.”

 Last two lines the couplet show the realization of the speaker.  He accepts the reality.  He reveals that his pain is due to the dark woman who is proud and not merciful.  The poet believes that loving Dark Lady is sin and his pain is due to that sin.  His pain is the punishment for his devotion to her.  His pain is like a gift for his blind love.

  

Poetical devices

 Hyperbole

 Exaggeration in the usage of words.  For example “thousand errors note”

Personification                                                                        

 Attribution of human feelings to inhuman or inanimate objects.

 “My heart that loves “heart is nothing but his feelings and emotions.

“Mine ears delighted” he is not pleased by her voice.  He mentions his ears are not pleased to hear her voice.  He consider his ears as a separate part of his body and says his physical feelings are different from his emotional feelings which are part of his soul.

 Symbol

Represents the idea of the poet.  In this sonnet the symbols make the ideas of the speaker more vivid.

 For example eye is a symbol of his vision and heart stands for his feelings.

“Thy proud hearts slave” says that he is slave for his love.

Metaphor

 Comparison to make the description more detail for the readers.    

Metaphors in the sonnet make it more interesting. “Tongue’s tune is voice of the lady and feast is compared to the pleasure of feeling. 

 Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be:” his feelings for her made him a slave to her.  He becomes a miserable slave, proud heart describes her chastity. It is taken as proud and cruel during the Elizabethan era.

“Only my plague thus far I count my gain,”

My plague is means he is affected by the disease of love.  He is sick of his love for his Dark Lady.

 Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound especially at the beginning of words

“Tongue’s tune delighted”

Imagery

Description giving a feelings to the eyes and to the sense.

Example tongue’s tune, no smell no taste. The description is clear to feel the speaker’s emotions.

Five senses are vision, taste, touch, smell and hear

Five wits are common sense, imagination, memory, valuation, pleasures.

 The form of the sonnet is three quatrains and a couplet which ends the sonnet.  It comes under category of Shakespeare Sonnet.

Rhyming scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and Meter is iambic pentameter.  The Tone is quite open and confessional

Theme is love.  Attraction comes not for physical features.  Personality doesn’t count.  All that matter is the feeling for the person.

Narration has been done to the Dark Lady.  His feelings and emotions are poured out.

Thus the sonnet with all its perfect features have been dedicated to the unknown Dark Lady.

 William Shakespeare was a great English poet, dramatist and one of the greatest writers in literature world.  His works have been captivating over ages.  Sonnet 141 is addressed to an unknown Dark lady.  The theme goes around the Dark Lady and explores the feelings and open confession of the poet.  His eyes are against his heart.  For his heart becomes slave to her.  the feelings for her becomes so strong and sincere and his eyes refuse to believe what is visible to him.  It is an emotional struggle between his mind and heart.  Slowly she becomes the cause of his pain.

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