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. Sonnet 31 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts, 02. Which I by lacking have supposed dead, 03. And there reigns Love and all Love's loving parts, 04. And all those friends which I thought buried. 05. How many a holy and obsequious tear 06. Hath dear religious love stolen from mine eye, 07. As interest of the dead, which now appear, 08. But things remov'd that hidden in there lie. 09. Thou art the grave where buried love doth live, 10. Hung with the trophies of my lovers gone, 11. Who all their parts of me to thee did give, 12. That due of many, now is thine alone. 13. Their images I loved, I view in thee, 14. And thou (all they) hast all the all of me. |
. Sonnet 31 . (paraphrased) 01. Your heart and soul are enriched by holding all the loved ones, figuratively speaking, 02. Which I (since they're gone from my life) had presumed dead, in every way, 03. And Love, personified, rules there, in your heart and soul, with all Love's affectionate qualities, 04. And all those friends I thought I'd lost forever, I "see" them again, in you; 05. How many devoted and dutiful tears 06. Has emotionally-costly adoration withdrawn from my eyes? -- 07. As emotional payment for the dead, who now appear to be 08. Only things misplaced earlier, and who lie hidden in your heart and soul; 09. You are the "house" where dead loves live again, 10. Where the proper and honorable reminders of my dead friends and loves are displayed, 11. And I have transferred to you all the affection I once held for each of them; 12. The love I once "owed" to many, is now yours, alone. 13. Their images, that I loved, I see in you, 14. And you ("holding" all of them,) hold everything that's worth anything, of me. |
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Sonnet 31 Gloss
L1: bosom - container of the "heart and soul." L1: endeared with = made beloved by. Can be read 'enriched.' L1: hearts = loved ones. L2: lacking - not having (them) in my own life, my own world. Refers to having them gone from his life. L2: supposed = presumed. L3: Love - personified. L3: parts = qualities. L4: buried = dead and buried, literally. Means 'lost forever.' L5: holy = devoted. L5: obsequious = dutiful. (Note, to the right.) L6: dear = emotionally costly. (Note, to the right.) L6: religious love = adoration. L6: stolen = withdrawn. (Note, to the right.) L7: interest of = 'payment' to. L7: appear = seem to be. (Note, to the right.) L8: But = Only. L8: remov'd = only misplaced, earlier. L8: there = "thy bosom." (Note, to the right.) L9: grave = 'house.' (Note, to the right.) L9: buried = factually buried in the earth. L9: love = beloved persons. L9: live = exist. Conceptually speaking. L10: Hung with = displaying. L10: trophies = funerary honors. (Note, to the right.) L10: gone = dead. L11: parts of me = good feelings of mine. (Note, to the right.) L12: That due of = What was "owed" to. L13: images = impressions they made on me. L14: all they = like all of them together. L14: all the all = everything that's worth anything. |
Sonnet 31 Notes
Sonnet 31 is by Edward de Vere, written to William Shakespeare. ------- L5: obsequious = dutiful. Through word similarity, it suggests 'obsequies,' which are rites for the dead. L6: dear = emotionally costly. The 'cost' idea anticipates "interest" in line 7. L6: stolen = withdrawn. The word usage continues the "cost" idea. "Stolen" expresses the idea of "take" in a broad sense. The Shakespeare Sonnets, and the plays, contain many instances where the word "steal," and its forms, are used in a very broad way, to mean basically a "taking" of any kind, not intended to imply that an actual crime has occurred. L7: appear = seem to be. In the context, of talking about the dead, the word hints of an apparition. When the "dead ... appear," that would be a ghost. L8: there = "thy bosom." The word "there" is apparently often mistaken as 'thee,' and printed so in modern editions of the Sonnets, but the original printing of "there" is correct. It links directly back to the first subject phrase of the Sonnet, thy bosom. L9: grave = 'house.' For clarification, compare the French phrase 'maison mortuaire' which means "house of the deceased." The addressee's bosom is cast as a "house of the deceased" where the Poet's dead friends "live again," so to speak. L10: trophies = funerary honors. It was customary to display a deceased's honors at his funeral, such as the coat of arms, the trophy sword of a knight, or for a maiden, a certain kind of wreath, and so on, depending on the individual, and his accomplishments and social status. The word trophies can be read "proper and honorable reminders." L11: parts of me = good feelings of mine. Can be read to refer to 'good "spirits" of mine.' The implication of "spirits" goes along with the old friends being dead. Can also be read 'my affections,' since his affections are the relevant "parts." Good feelings that the Poet had about former friends, feelings that "belonged" to them, are now "given," transferred, to the addressee. Following on the "cost" idea, it can likened to transferring an investment to a new account. In this case, the "investment" is emotional. |
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