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. Sonnet 27 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, 02. The dear repose for limbs with travel tired, 03. But then begins a journey in my head 04. To work my mind, when body's work's expired: 05. For then my thoughts (from far where I abide) 06. Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, 07. And keep my drooping eyelids open wide, 08. Looking on darkness which the blind do see. 09. Save that my soul's imaginary sight 10. Presents their shadow to my sightless view, 11. Which like a jewel (hung in ghastly night) 12. Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new. 13. Lo thus by day my limbs, by night my mind, 14. For thee, and for myself, no quiet find. |
. Sonnet 27 . (paraphrased) 01. Weary from work, I promptly go to bed, 02. The welcome repose for limbs tired from travel, 03. But then, I begin a journey in my brain, 04. Which occupies my mind, after's the body's work is done; 05. And then my thoughts (wandering far from where I dwell,) 06. Set out upon a devoted journey to you, 07. And keep my sleepy eyelids open wide, 08. As I look upon the kind of darkness which the blind must "see." 09. (We are) Apart, except that my soul's imaginary eyes, which can't really see, but can form images, 10. Bring their "ghost," of you, into my empty field of view, 11. Which, like a brilliant decoration (suspended in horrid night) 12. Makes the black night beautiful, and makes the old, familiar face of night look fresh and novel; 13. So behold, how my limbs, by day, and my mind by night, 14. Find no rest, for either you or me. |
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Sonnet 27 Gloss
L1: haste = go promptly rather than staying up. L2: dear = welcome. L4: work = occupy. L4: expired = done. (Note, to the right.) L5: from far = far from. (Note, to the right.) L5: abide - Primarily, 'dwell.' Secondarily, 'suffer.' (Note, to the right.) L6: Intend = Direct (my) attention to. It can be read as the verb 'purpose.' L6: zealous = earnestly devoted. L6: pilgrimage = journey. (Note, to the right.) L7: drooping = sleepy. L8: do see - A paradoxical phrasing, since, by definition, the blind do not see. L9: Save that = "Apart, except that..." (Note, to the right.) L9: soul's - the Poet ascribes the capacity for visual imagination to the soul. L9: imaginary = not truly existing. Then also, 'capable of creating an image.' (Double meaning.) L9: sight = eyes. L10: Presents = Bring. (Since "sight" in line 9 means "eyes," the correct equivalent is a plural verb.) L10: sightless - Literally, it's too dark to see. L10: their - (Note, to the right.) L10: shadow = ghost, apparition. L10: sightless view = field of view empty of any real sight to see. L11: jewel = valuable decoration. L11: hung = suspended. L11: ghastly - The ordinary dictionary definition applies. There's implicit wordplay with "shadow" (ghost.) L12: black - In Elizabethan times, light coloring was considered more handsome than dark coloring. L12: beauteous = more attractive. L12: her - Night is cast as female, because of association with the moon, which is stereotypically female. L12: old - The word "old" is used as in the phrase "old friend." (Note, to the right.) L13: Lo = Behold. L14: For thee - The Poet humorously takes it that by concentrating on the addressee, he is not "letting the addressee rest," so to speak. L14: quiet = rest. |
Sonnet 27 Notes
Sonnet 27 is by William Shakespeare, and the addressee is probably Mrs. Shakespeare. The Poet mentions hard work, in a "we" kind of way, implying he's working for "us," and it worries him enough to keep him awake at night. That points to a wife. "For thee, and for myself" - is why I'm working so hard. ------- L4: expired = done. There's wordplay on the idea of death - the Poet has "killed" another day of work. L5: from far = far from. It's like the familiar expression, 'my mind was miles away.' It's also literal, in that, the thoughts concern something far away. L5: abide - primarily, 'dwell.' Secondarily, 'suffer.' "Abide" has an old definition of "suffer." It's found in, for example, the play Julius Caesar Act 3 scene 2: ~ First Citizen: If it be found so, some will dear abide it. ~~~ There's the implication, from the ambiguity of the line 5 phrasing, that the Poet is dwelling far from his permanent residence. L6: pilgrimage = journey. The word usage implies a religious journey, a journey by a devotee to an object of veneration. It's compatible with the idea of being a long way away, since religious pilgrimages are usually over long distances. L9: Save that = "Apart, except that..." The word "Save" gives some wordplay in advance of 'soul.' For interpretation, "Save" is a 'double-duty' word, which needs to be read twice, for the four lines, from line 8 to line 12, to be grammatical. That is, read the word "Save" twice to get "Save, save that..." The first "Save," taken as "Apart," supplies the idea "We are apart, ..." The Poet occasionally, in both his poems and plays, used a word in a way so that it needs to be repeated to get the full meaning. L10: their "Their" is the word printed originally in the Sonnets publication of 1609. Later interpreters seem to think, generally, that the word should be "thy," however, they are wrong. The word "their" refers back to the soul's sight, in line 9, the soul's "eyes." So, the word "their" is correct as it was printed originally. L12: old - The word "old" is used as in the phrase "old friend." It can be understood as 'familiar because of long acquaintance.' In Biblical terms, darkness is even older than light. "Darkness" is the first condition mentioned in the Bible. The Poet made frequent use of Biblical terms in his writings. |
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