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. Sonnet 14 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck, 02. And yet methinks I have Astronomy, 03. But not to tell of good, or evil luck, 04. Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality, 05. Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell, 06. Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind, 07. Or say with Princes if it shall go well 08. By oft predict that I in heaven find, 09. But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive, 10. And constant stars in them I read such art 11. As truth and beauty shall together thrive, 12. If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert: 13. Or else of thee this I prognosticate, 14. Thy end is Truth's and Beauty's doom and date. |
. Sonnet 14 . (paraphrased) 01. I do not draw my conclusion from the planets, 02. And yet, I think I have astrology, 03. But not the kind that foretells good fortune, or bad luck, or 04. About plagues, or scarcities, or the weather of the seasons, 05. Nor can I foretell events precisely, 06. Predicting, minute by minute, thunder, rain, or wind, 07. Or say if events shall go well for royalty, 08. By the highest prophecy that I can find in the heavens, 09. But I derive my insight from your eyes, 10. And from the constant stars; from them I read that the joining 11. Of truth and beauty, male and female, shall thrive together, 12. If you would stop keeping yourself, all to yourself, and become a supplier of your truth and beauty, to a child, 13. Or else, I predict this for you: 14. The end of you will mean the destruction of your truth and beauty, as well. |
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Sonnet 14 Gloss
L1: stars = planets (the "inconstant" stars.) This meaning is dictated by "constant" in line 10. L1: judgment = conclusion. L1: pluck = draw; take. L2: Astronomy = Astrology. L3: tell = foretell. L4: dearths = scarcities. (Implying the ability to predict market prices.) L4: quality = elemental quality, i.e. hot or cold, dry or wet. This has reference to the theory of four elements: earth, air, fire, water. Can be read simply as 'weather': hot, cold, dry, wet. L5: brief minutes - Has reference to precision in time, down to the day or hour when something will happen. (Note, to the right.) L7: Princes = Royalty, Rulers. L8: oft = highest. (Note, to the right.) L8: predict = prophesy/prophecy. "Predict" gives two syllables for the meter; and the verb 'prophesy' was formerly spelled the same as the noun, 'prophecy.' L8: that = what. L8: heaven = the heavens. L9: knowledge = ability to predict. Can be read 'insight.' L10: constant stars = the fixed stars, the ones that appear not to move. L10: art = combination, joining. (Note, to the right.) L11: truth = trueness. There's wordplay with 'troth,' which is a hint about betrothal, marriage. At root, 'betroth' is be+truth. L11: truth and beauty - (Note, to the right.) L12: store = supply (to a child.) L12: convert = change, turn. The word has a religious implication. It can be read 'turn away' (from yourself, alone,) stop "worshipping" yourself. L14: doom = destruction; final judgment. L14: date - Of termination. 'Appointment', with death. |
Sonnet 14 Notes
L5: brief minutes - Has reference to precision in time, down to the day or hour when something will happen. The phrase can also be read as a reference to minutia, and in that case "brief" could be viewed in the legal sense of a lawyer's brief. It implies 'systematic detail.' So, the phrase "brief minutes" can be interpreted to have a double meaning, both a reference to precision in time, and to the detail of the prediction. L8: oft = highest. The meaning is inferred from the root meaning of "oft": 'over,' as in "over and above." That which is "over and above" is 'highest.' It's clear that Shakespeare had an unusually extensive knowledge of words. L10: art = combination, joining. "Art" is akin to 'artus', which means "a joint," which is why it can be read as 'joining.' Line 10 is intentionally written to be ambiguous. The phrase "in them" can be read either to refer back to "eyes," or to go with "stars." It makes the location of the "stars" ambiguous: they can be either stars in the eyes, or stars in the heavens. The "stars in the eyes" reading is the inferior one, however, since the Poet hopes the stars in the addressee's eyes will not be "constant." That is, the Poet hopes the addressee will change his mind about marriage. L11: truth and beauty The phrase implies male and female, the male being "truth," and the female "beauty." It's a sun-moon, or yin-yang concept. (The sun (son) is the desired ultimate "truth," as the Poet advocates the addressee having an heir.) The same concept, of male "truth" and female "beauty" appears in Hamlet. Compare Hamlet's "logical" argument to Ophelia, in the 'Nunnery Scene' (Scene 8, which is traditionally Act 3 scene 1.) ~=~ Hamlet: Ha, ha, are you honest? Ophelia: My Lord? Hamlet: Are you fair? Ophelia: What means your Lordship? Hamlet: That if you be honest & fair, you should admit no discourse to your beauty. Ophelia: Could beauty, my Lord, have better commerce Than with honesty? Hamlet: Aye, truly! For, the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty... =~=~= It would take a while to explain that passage adequately, but essentially, honesty and fairness (truth and beauty) are being both contrasted and combined. Shakespeare takes it that men are "truth" (but with some "beauty,") and women are "beauty" (but with some "truth.") It's a sophisticated concept. Also in Hamlet, Hamlet quotes the Biblical principle, "man and wife are one flesh." Marriage, then, is a proper combination of "truth" and "beauty." Much more could be said about this concept, or model, of "truth and beauty" as Shakespeare used it in reference to men and women. In the Sonnet, since the addressee is single, he must be both man and wife, male and female, within himself, alone, his "one flesh." Thus, he himself must be both truth and beauty. However, that is not a proper balance, just within himself. The Poet is advising the addressee to be a "truth" who finds a "beauty," and thereby makes it all right. Philosophically, things get rather abstruse. In any event, the dual nature of persons is referenced, as the addressee is advised to marry. |
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