Go to the Sonnets INTRO page
|
|
|
Go to the LIST of Sonnets page
Go to the Sonnets INTRO page |
|
. Sonnet 30 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. When to the Sessions of sweet silent thought, 02. I summon up remembrance of things past, 03. I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, 04. And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste: 05. Then can I drown an eye (unused to flow) 06. For precious friends hid in death's dateless night, 07. And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe, 08. And moan th' expense of many a vanished sight: 09. Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, 10. And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er 11. The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, 12. Which I new pay as if not paid before. 13. But if the while I think on thee (dear friend) 14. All losses are restored and sorrows end. |
. Sonnet 30 . (paraphrased) 01. When, in my silent, contemplative meditations about friends, 02. I call to mind memories of things long ago, 03. I sigh because I lack many things I hoped for, 04. And with my old woes newly recalled, I lament the waste of my precious life; 05. Then, I could drown my eyes with tears - although I seldom cry - 06. For precious friends dead and buried in death's eternal night, 07. And weep again over love's long-ago-forgiven heartache, 08. And lament the cost of many items I don't have any more; 09. Then, I could grieve about offenses of earlier times, 10. And, with a heavy heart, count up one woe after another, 11. A sad accounting of complaints I've already lamented; 12. Which I newly suffer, when I think of them, as if I hadn't already suffered; 13. But if, while I'm doing that, I think of you, dear friend, 14. All my losses are compensated, and my sorrows end. |
|
Sonnet 30 Gloss
L1: Sessions = meditations. (Note, to the right.) L1: sweet = courteous, well-bred. Essentially, it means 'friendly.' (Note, to the right) L1: thought = contemplation. Secondarily, 'grief.' (Note, to the right) L2: summon up = call to mind. (Note, to the right) L2: remembrance = keepsake, figuratively speaking. (Note, to the right) L3: sigh = sigh because of. L3: sought = hoped for. L4: new - by being recalled anew. L4: wail = lament. L4: dear = precious. L4: times's = lifetime's. L5: drown an eye = shed tears. L5: unused to flow = unaccustomed to tears. (Note, to the right) L6: hid = buried. L6: dateless = eternal. L7: afresh = again. L7: since = ago. L7: cancelled = forgiven. (Note, to the right) L7: woe = heartache. L8: expense = cost. Emotional and financial. L8: vanished = no longer present. L8: sight = item, of visual interest. L9: grievances = offenses. (Note, to the right) L9: foregone = gone before; of earlier time. L10: heavily = with a heavy heart. L10: from woe to woe = from one misfortune, or sorrow, to another. L10: tell o'er = count up. L11: account = accounting, sum. L11: fore-bemoaned = already lamented. L11: moan = complaint. L12: new = again. 14: restored = compensated. |
Sonnet 30 Notes
Sonnet 30 is by Edward de Vere, to William Shakespeare - no matter who would ever know it, or admit it. ------- L1: Sessions = meditations. The word usage suggests sessions of a court. It implies the Poet's recollections are a "trial" to him. L1: sweet = courteous, well-bred. Essentially, it means 'friendly.' The word usage is like the form of address often found in the plays: 'sweet queen,' 'sweet lord,' etc. That form of address refers to a civilized, friendly person, or at least one who is expected to be. The Poet's thoughts are "friendly" because they're about friends. The word "sweet" anticipates "friend" in line 13. The well-known contrasting phrase is "bitter enemies." Enemies are "bitter," friends are "sweet." "Bitter" enemies / "sweet" friends. L1: thought = contemplation. Secondarily, 'grief.' "Grief" is an obsolete definition of "thought" that was in use in Chaucer's time, and still in general use up to about a hundred years ago. Chaucer, 'Troilus and Criseyde' Book 1 line 579: ~ Which cause is of my deeth, for sorwe and thought. ~~~ L2: summon up = call to mind. The phrase is suggestive of a witness summoned to court, making it compatible with "sessions" in the first line. The phrase can also be viewed as if summoning spirits, ghosts. L2: remembrance = keepsake, figuratively speaking. The Poet casts it that memories are like mementos, souvenirs. Also, the word "remembrance" has a definition of thought for the dead, or some item, or action done, for the dead. Putting flowers on a grave is a "remembrance." L5: unused to flow = unaccustomed to tears. Since he doesn't cry often, his eye is unaccustomed to tears, which means his eye won't swim well, poetically speaking. Thus, his eye will "drown" from not knowing how to swim. L7: cancelled = forgiven. He grieved at the time, long ago, so as far as his actual "debt of grief" is concerned, it's already paid, and cancelled, 'forgiven.' L9: grievances = offenses. It's unclear whether the offenses were against him, or committed by him, or both. A person can be sad about things he's done, as well as things done against him. A "grievance" is usually an offense against a person, but the language of the Sonnets is not always that simple. |
| Go to: the LIST of Sonnets page -|- or -|- the Sonnets INTRO page | Back to: Sonnet 29 -|- or -|- Ahead to: Sonnet 31 |
|
Go to the |
The Shakespeare Sonnets, courtesy of:
|
See ALL the Sonnets on one long page. |