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. Sonnet 39 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Oh how thy worth with manners may I sing, 02. When thou art all the better part of me? 03. What can mine own praise to mine own self bring; 04. And what is't but mine own when I praise thee? 05. Even for this, let us divided live, 06. And our dear love lose name of single one, 07. That by this separation I may give 08. That due to thee which thou deserv'st alone: 09. Oh absence what a torment wouldst thou prove, 10. Were it not thy sour leisure gave sweet leave, 11. To entertain the time with thoughts of love, 12. Which time and thoughts so sweetly doth deceive, 13. And that thou teachest how to make one twain, 14. By praising him here who doth hence remain. |
. Sonnet 39 . (paraphrased) 01. Oh how, with proper etiquette, can I proclaim your worth, 02. When you are all the praiseworthy part of me? 03. What could my own praise, of my own self, accomplish - 04. And what is it, but praise of myself, when I praise you? 05. Immediately, because of this problem, (which inhibits me from praising you,) let us exist apart, 06. And our dear, loving friendship not be known as one love, only: 07. So that, after our separation, I can extol you with 08. That praise for you, which you, alone, deserve, (without my being ill mannered by praising myself); 09. But oh, your absence, from our united love, what a torment it would prove to be, 10. Unless that bitter time of "freedom," for me, included your friendly permission, and the sweet opportunity, 11. To enjoy the time, while you're apart, by thinking thoughts of love, for you; 12. (Such time, when I have loving thoughts about you, so sweetly does beguile me); 13. And also unless your absence would show me how to double my praise of you, 14. By also praising whichever of us, here, who would therefore remain, that being you. |
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Sonnet 39 Gloss
L1: manners = etiquette. L1: sing = proclaim (in verse.) Declaim. L2: the better part = the praiseworthy part. (Note, to the right.) L3: bring = accomplish. L4: own = own praise. L5: even = straightaway; directly. Immediately. L5: for this = because of this problem. L5: divided = apart. (Note, to the right.) L5: live = exist. (Note, to the right.) L6: lose name = not be called; not be known as. L6: single one - (Note, to the right.) L7: separation = distinction. L7: give = speak; write. (With good manners.) L8: That due = that praise. L8: alone = for just yourself. L9: absence = your absence (from "our love" - singular.) The addressee's hypothetical, emotional absence is personified as Absence, itself. L9: prove = prove to be. L10: sour - Essentially equal to "bitter" in this case. Unpleasant. L10: leisure = "freedom." (Note, to the right.) That is, the state of being "unbound" from the singular 'love.' L10: leave = opportunity; or, 'permission.' L11: entertain the time = enjoyably pass that time. Suggesting "greet" that time. L11: love - Of you. L12: deceive = beguile. (Note, to the right.) Line 12 is an aside. L13: teachest = show L13: make one twain = double one praise. (Note, to the right.) L14: him = whichever of us. (Note, to the right.) L14: hence = therefore. Suggests "henceforth," or "still" in the modern sense, as well. |
Sonnet 39 Notes
Sonnet 39 is William Shakespeare's reply to Edward de Vere's Sonnet 36. This Shakespeare Sonnet is significantly more convoluted and profound than Vere's. Although Vere was good, Shakespeare was the better writer. Rightly, Sonnets 36 and 39 should be consecutive. The original Sonnets publication of 1609 does not have the Sonnets in their correct order. (Thorpe may have published them in the order in which he got them from Mary Sidney, however.) ------- L2: the better part Essentially, the Poet is saying that the praiseworthy part of himself is that he has a loving friendship with the addressee. Then, since the addressee is "part of himself," it wouldn't be good manners to praise the addressee, because the Poet would be praising himself. The idea is facetious. L5: divided = apart. The concept is that of turning "we love" (together, using the singular) into "I love, and you love" (separately, which makes it "our loves," which is a plural.) This concept leads to the use of "single" in line 6. L5: live = exist. It does not mean the Poet and the addressee are actually living together. The togetherness is emotional. The suggestion of living together is facetious. L6: single one The line has reference to creating a plural, rather than a singular - i.e. "loves" instead of "love." (The line uses the singular, "love.") L10: leisure = "freedom." That is, the state of being "unbound" from the singular 'love.' The word "leisure" is subtle wordplay. "Leisure" is based on Latin 'licere' which means "be allowed." The word "leave" in line 10 can also be read as a reference to permission. It implies the paradox of a sour leave giving a sweet leave. L12: deceive = beguile. Line 12 is an aside. Based on experience, the Poet knows that time spent thinking about the addressee beguiles him, sweetly. L13: make one twain = double one praise. The focus is still on the idea of how to praise suitably. L14: him = whichever of us. The concept is sublime: since their love is one, if one left, which would it actually be? If the addressee left, since they're one, perhaps it would actually be the Poet who left, and the addressee who remained. As one, they're the same entity. So, by either name, who stayed, and who left? Thus, the use of "him" to mean "whichever." The meaning of "him" settles into being the addressee, however, in line 14. That's shown by "praising him," since the Poet is intending to praise the addressee. The upshot becomes, 'since we're one entity, sharing a single love, if you left you would still remain with me, but your "absence" would show me how to praise you, with good manners, twice over - while you're both absent and still here. The logic of it all is delicious, albeit hard to follow. Shakespeare had a remarkable mind. |
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