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. Sonnet 9 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye, 02. That thou consumest thyself in single life? 03. Ah; if thou issueless shalt hap to die, 04. The world will wail thee like a makeless wife, 05. The world will be thy widow and still weep, 06. That thou no form of thee hast left behind, 07. When every private widow well may keep, 08. By children's eyes, her husband's shape in mind: 09. Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend 10. Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it 11. But beauty's waste hath in the world an end, 12. And kept unused the user so destroys it: 13. No love toward others in that bosom sits 14. That on himself such murderous shame commits. |
. Sonnet 9 . (paraphrased) 01. Is it to avoid any chance of your widow crying, 02. That you use up yourself in single life? 03. Think again; If you die without a child, 04. The world will mourn you like a wife who's lost a husband; 05. The entire world, then, will be your "widow," and will always weep, 06. That you've left no shape of yourself behind, 07. And that, even though any withdrawn, bereaved widow may well keep, 08. (When she looks into her children's eyes,) her husband's shape in mind. 09. Consider what a prodigal will spend in the world, 10. That, in whatever amount, only moves from place to place, and still the world in general, somewhere, possesses it, 11. But a waste of beauty will lead to beauty's end in the world, 12. And if one keeps his beauty, unused, he thereby destroys it; 13. You must have no pity for others in your heart, 14. To commit such life-ending shame against yourself. |
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Sonnet 9 Gloss
L1: widow's = that of your own widow (if your wife were to outlive you.) L2: consumest = use up. L3: Ah = think again; consider. L4: wail = lament; mourn. L4: makeless = childless. (Note, to the right.) L5: still = always. L7: private = withdrawn. (Note, to the right.) L9: Look = consider. L9: unthrift = profligate; prodigal. "Prodigal" is probably best, because of the implicit "son" idea. L9: what = that which. L10: shifts = moves. L10: his = its. L10: still - In the modern sense. L10: enjoys = possesses. L12: so = thus; thereby. L13: love = pity. L14: murderous = deadly; life-ending. |
Sonnet 9 Notes
L4: makeless = childless. If the addressee doesn't have a child, his hypothetical wife will be childless, also. The sound of "makeless" suggests "mateless," going along with the idea of the addressee leaving some woman "mateless" if he doesn't marry. The word "make" is related to "match." Further, the word "make" has an obsolete definition of "compose." By that, a "makeless" wife would be an "uncomposed" wife. That, in turn, suggests two further implicit meanings. A person who is "uncomposed," would be one who lacks emotional composure, and is wailing, as the Sonnet says. Further, an "uncomposed" wife can be understood as one who is not "written" - one who does not exist. This goes along with the addressee's wife being nonexistent if he doesn't marry. So, while "make" is an ordinary English word, as used by Shakespeare here, it is quite profound. L7: private = withdrawn. Withdrawn into private life, as opposed to being in public. It was customary at the time for a widow to withdraw from social life for a lengthy mourning period. The "world," lines 4 and 5, is public. Also, as used in this Sonnet, "private" is compatible with "bereaved," (which comes from Latin 'privare.') So the equivalent idea for paraphrase is that of a widow who is bereaved, and withdrawn from public life. |
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