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. Sonnet 41 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits, 02. When I am sometime absent from thy heart, 03. Thy beauty, and thy years full well befits, 04. For still temptation follows where thou art. 05. Gentle thou art, and therefore to be won, 06. Beauteous thou art, therefore to be assailed. 07. And when a woman woes, what woman's son 08. Will sourly leave her till he have prevailed? 09. Aye me, but yet thou might'st my seat forbear, 10. And chide thy beauty, and thy straying youth, 11. Who lead thee in their riot even there 12. Where thou art forced to break a two-fold truth: 13. Hers by thy beauty tempting her to thee, 14. Thine by thy beauty being false to me. |
. Sonnet 41 . (paraphrased) 01. Those cute wrongs that you, at liberty, commit, 02. When remembrance of me is, on occasion, absent from your heart, 03. Go very well along with your beauty and your youth, and are unsurprising, 04. Since temptation will always follow, where you are; 05. You are noble and kind, and therefore a prize to be won; 06. You are handsome, and therefore to be seduced, 07. And when a woman is unhappy, for love, what woman's son 08. Would rudely leave her, until he has had his way with her? 09. Aye me, but yet, you might be so good as to spare my dominion, 10. And rebuke your beauty, and your roving youthfulness, 11. Who lead you, in their rebellion, even into a place 12. Where you are compelled to break two faiths: 13. Her faith in you, because your beauty tempted her to you, 14. Your own, through your beauty causing lack of faithfulness to me. |
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Sonnet 41 Gloss
L1: pretty = cute and cutely clever. (Note, to the right.) L1: liberty - (Note, to the right.) L2: sometime = sometimes = on occasion. L3: years = youth. Not very many years. L3: befits = suits. Goes along with. Reference to what is not too surprising, given certain circumstances. L4: still = always. L4: thou - Both the addressee, and Liberty. (Double meaning.) Where Liberty goes, temptation follows. Also, temptation follows where the addressee goes. L6: assailed = enticed; entreated. Seduced. (Note, to the right.) L7: woes = is unhappy (for love.) The word is printed "woes" in the original. It typically gets changed to "woos" in modern reprints, but with no pressing need for the change. L8: sourly = rudely; disappointingly. L9: seat = throne. Dominion. (Note, to the right.) L9: forbear = spare. L10: chide = rebuke. L10: straying = roving. L11: riot = undisciplined disturbance. Figuratively, 'rebellion.' L11: lead thee ... even there = lead you even into a place (a situation.) L12: break = disobey. L12: two-fold = affecting two persons. L12: truth = faith. (The idea of "breaking faith.") A "truthful" person is a "faithful" person. L13: Hers - By dishonoring her. L14: Thine - By dishonoring yourself. L14: me - Perhaps not the Poet, but rather, his patron for this Sonnet. Lines 12 to 14: - (Note, to the right.) |
Sonnet 41 Notes
William Herbert had a fling, notorious at the time, with Mary Fitton, in 1600. She was left pregnant, when Herbert refused to marry her, although he admitted paternity. Herbert was sent to Fleet Prison over it, in February, 1601. William Herbert's father, Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, died January 19, 1601, just a month or so before William was sent to prison. If the addressee of Sonnet 41 is William Herbert, (probably the "fair youth" of the first 17 Sonnets,) there would have been a notable "seat" (Sonnet line 9) involved: the Earldom of Pembroke. The scandal reflected poorly on the earldom, to say the least, since William was in line for it, and did become the 3rd Earl Pembroke. "My seat forbear" = don't ruin my earldom, with scandal, says your father. In other words, "spare my earldom." Sonnet 41 is by William Shakespeare, but does not make good sense for being from him, personally, to William Herbert. It gives much more the impression of being a patronage Sonnet, on behalf of William's father, Henry. That goes along with the group of the first 17 appearing to be patronage Sonnets, to be read or sent by various persons, with William Herbert the likely addressee for them. This view is compatible with the "Mr. W.H." in the dedication of the original 1609 Sonnets publication being William Herbert. The Herbert family (particularly Mary Sidney) would then have had the "fair youth" Sonnets, to provide to publisher Thorpe, if they were patronage Sonnets commissioned from Shakespeare by the family. Mary Sidney would have had the rest of the Sonnets by being one of the "private friends" (mentioned by Meres, 1598,) in the literary circle where the Shakespeare Sonnets circulated. Then, the Herbert family would have had this Sonnet if it were a patronage Sonnet on behalf of Henry Herbert. One may surmise Sonnet 41 was written late in the year 1600, after it became known Herbert would not marry Fitton. (It must be emphasized this is theory, an attempt to place the Sonnet in historical context.) ------- L1: pretty = cute and cutely clever. The Poet used "pretty" in a way that went beyond physical attractiveness, to include an idea of mischief. "Cute" could be a good modern equivalent, understood to include the slang phrase, "that was cute," in reference to a clever stunt, that did not work out so well. L1: liberty The wrong is assigned to Liberty, personified, rather than to the addressee, himself. This avoids blaming the addressee, personally, and is a mark of politeness. The beginning concept is that the addressee took liberty as license, so to speak. L6: assailed = enticed; entreated. Seduced. As used here, "assailed" means a figurative "attack" against resistance, in the "war between the sexes." See Cymbeline Act 2 scene 3. ~ Cloten: I have assailed her with music, but she vouchsafes no notice. ~~~ L9: seat = throne. Dominion. "My seat" = 'Where I rule.' There is a secondary implication of "heart," that is, "my seat forbear" = "spare my heart," under the understanding of "ruling" one's own heart. The general idea being, "you're breaking my heart." In light of the historical considerations noted above, the phrase, with respect to "dominion," could be viewed to indicate the Earldom of Pembroke. Lines 12 to 14: Sonnet lines 12 to 14 pit truth versus beauty in a way similar to that used by the Poet elsewhere, notably in the 'Nunnery Scene' in Hamlet, where Hamlet makes a fairness and honesty (beauty and truth) argument to Ophelia. |
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