Do you know about sonnet 141 ?

 

 Sonnet 141 by William Shakespeare.



Introduction

  • Sonnet 141 is addressed to the so called dark lady, the mistress, the subject of the Shakespeare's final 28 sonnets of the complete 154 sonnet sequence.
  • Sonnet 141 is one of several sonnets that explore the theme of "eye against the heart" the rational mind against the emotional core.
  • It focuses on the struggle between the speaker's sense and his heart. He knows his lover is not the most beautiful to look at; she hasn't the voice or smell or touch but nonetheless he's her tormented slave.
  • He doted on her because he is religiously devoted, a nothing of a man without her. She is the cause of pain yet she makes it worthwhile.




Overview

  • Tone - confessional 
  • theme - there are other reasons to attraction than physical features.
  • narration - 1st person / written to the dark lady

Lets study the poem 

  • In the first quatrain,

*** Shakespeare introduces a love which is beyond physical attraction. ***


*** The speaker's overwhelmed emotional attraction to the lady contradictory with his vision which is a reflection of social convention -- in Elizabethan era the beauty of women is highly valued and appreciated. ***

*** So, the poet's struggle between the mind and heart is introduced. *** 


*** His confession reveals that he does something unacceptable to be done by an ordinary person. ***


Techniques

Symbols
Inversion 
Hyperbole
Personification

  • in the second quatrain,
*** Poet further emphasizes the physical imperfection of the "Dark lady" to reveal that she does not possess any socially accepted norms of beauty to celebrate. ***

*** His confession reveals: though she is full of blemishes, he still cannot loving her. ***

*** It further reveals that the speaker does not love her to merely having physical pleasure. But his love is beyond physical pleasure. ***

 Techniques

Anaphora 
Imagery 
Parallelism
Metaphor
Alliteration
Personification
  • in the third quatrain,
*** Poet reveals the struggle between the heart and the brain. He has lost his control over the wits and senses making his a slave to the dark lady who possesses  the nature of stereotype women in this era. ***

*** He is unconditionally attracted to her personality like a slave. He admits that he has lost his control over his emotions making him a miserable character before the eyes of society. ***

Techniques

Metaphor
Inversion 

  • in the couplet,
*** His predicament is shown in the last couplet. ***

*** He reveals the pain that was awarded by the woman who possesses conventional proud and cruel heart.***

*** He believes loving dark lady is a sin and his pain is the punishment for his rigorous devotion towards her. ***

*** In a way, it is a complicated love which is gives the lover pain as a gift. ***

Techniques

Metaphor
Religious words


Themes

  • Attraction and sensual pleasure 
  • Infatuation
  • Love

I will talk about Metaphysical age in my next article. 
Thank you !!
Location: Galle, Sri Lanka

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