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. Sonnet 52 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. So am I as the rich whose blessed key, 02. Can bring him to his sweet up-locked treasure, 03. The which he will not ev'ry hour survey, 04. For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure. 05. Therefore are feasts so solemn and so rare, 06. Since seldom coming in the long year set, 07. Like stones of worth they thinly placed are, 08. Or captain Jewels in the carcanet. 09. So is the time that keeps you as my chest, 10. Or as the wardrobe which the robe doth hide, 11. To make some special instant special blest, 12. By new unfolding his imprison'd pride. 13. Blessed are you whose worthiness gives scope, 14. Being had to triumph, being lacked to hope. |
. Sonnet 52 . (paraphrased) 01. In a way, I'm like the rich man who's blessed by having a key 02. That gives him access to his gratifying, locked-away treasure, 03. But a treasure which he will not gaze upon all the time, 04. Since that would take the edge off his exceptional pleasure; 05. That's why the "feasts," for my eyes, gazing upon you, are so splendid and so special, 06. Because they rarely happen during my long year's schedule; 07. Like valuable gems, they're distributed thinly, 08. Or, one might say, they're like the occasional, most valuable gems, in a long necklace; 09. That's how it is, with my time, that keeps you "locked away" as my treasure; 10. Or, I might say, you're like a fancy suit, kept in a wardrobe, 11. That one only wears to show off on some special occasion, 12. When he unfolds, and dons, that normally locked-away pride and joy. 13. I bless you, that your nobility gives me opportunity; 14. When I'm with you, I triumph, and when I'm away from you, you give me hope. |
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Sonnet 52 Gloss
L1: So = in a way. L1: blessed = "crossed." (Note, to the right.) L2: sweet = gratifying. L2: up-locked = locked up. Locked away. L3: survey = gaze upon. L4: For = because of. L4: blunting the fine point = "taking the edge off" (in the modern turn of phrase.) Fine = sharp. L4: seldom = exceptional. Referring to the exception rather than the rule, so, 'exceptional.' L5: Therefore = that's why. L5: feasts = holidays. "Feast days." However, there is no particularly religious implication to this Sonnet. Indeed, it is quite the contrary. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..." as the Bible says. The Sonnet sentiment is decidedly irreligious, with respect to Christian theology. L5: solemn = splendid. The analogy is to a solemn religious ceremony being splendidly arrayed, as they are on holidays. The solemnity is done in splendor, it's "splendid." L5: rare = special. Something that rarely happens is something special. L6: seldom = infrequently. L6: set = schedule. Reference to "set" times; appointed times. Analogy to precious stones being "set" to make jewelry. L7: stones of worth = gems; jewels. Precious stones. L7: placed = found. Distributed, by circumstances. L8: captain Jewels = "leading" jewels. (Note, to the right.) Jewels of exceptional beauty and value. L8: carcanet = bejeweled necklace. Made in the style of having many small gems, and periodically a larger one, the larger ones being the "captain jewels" mentioned. L9: So is = that's how it is. L9: chest = treasure. A synecdoche. L10: wardrobe - (Note, to the right.) L10: robe = the cloth cover for the wardrobe. A dust cover. (Wardrobe doors are not tightly fitted enough to keep dust out by themselves, also, not all wardrobes have doors, some are closed with a cloth drape.) L10: hide = cover. (A dust cover is not really intended to conceal that the wardrobe is there; also, a cloth drape, rather than a wooden door, may be the allusion.) L11: instant = occasion. L11: blest = favored. Special blest = a specially favored occasion. L12: unfolding = showing; revealing. Reference to taking the fancy suit out of the wardrobe, to wear and show off. L12: imprison'd = locked away. L12: pride = "pride and joy" (in modern phrasing.) L13: Blessed - Blessed by me. L13: worthiness = nobility. The Sonnet is written so that it could be provided to an aristocratic patron, but the particular "nobility" that motivated this Sonnet is probably Mrs. Shakespeare. L13: scope = opportunity. A rich person can provide opportunities to a poorer person. Likewise, an understanding wife, in Stratford, can allow her husband the business opportunities of London. L14: triumph = celebrate. L14: hope - The opposite of "bless" would be "curse." However, the Poet doesn't curse while away from the addressee, instead, he hopes. The Poet is an optimist, it's a healthy attitude. |
Sonnet 52 Notes
William Shakespeare probably wrote Sonnet 52 to, and about, his wife. The essential sentiment is "you are my treasure," and the rare visits go along with him being in London, and her in Stratford. The Sonnet is phrased so that it might also serve a patron, which suits his practical need to write professionally. ------- The facts, of this Sonnet being #52 as originally printed, that it contains reference to a "year," and there being 52 weeks in a year, has been overblown in Sonnet commentary. The coincidence is not really of any significance. The word "year" or "years" also occurs in Sonnets 11, 41, 53, 73, 97, and 138 (none of which are the number of weeks in a year, of course.) For any of those, had it been printed as #52, persons who have superstitious numerological tendencies could find a significance, of their own fabrication. In fact, there is nothing about this Sonnet that particularly associates it with the weeks of the year, in some occult way, or any non-occult way, either. One could as sensibly argue that since it has 111 words it should be Sonnet #111, or that since it has 14 lines it should be Sonnet #14, or, since it also has the word "hour" it should be Sonnet #24, because there are 24 hours in a day (and it's a fact that the word "hour" occurs in the Sonnet before the word "year" does.) Reference to a "year" in this Sonnet #52 is an accidental coincidence. Nor does the Sonnet have any particularly Christian, religious undertone. Indeed, the glorification of worldly wealth is decidedly anti-religious, in terms of known Christian doctrine. The anti-religious tone is mollified by the Poet's "wealth" being a person, but nevertheless. The religious terms are simile, to connect with what people in general would recognize, and thereby make the Sonnet meaningful. ------- L1: blessed = "crossed." The word "blessed" is wordplay from the shape of the key. The key bits project on opposite sides of the shaft in a cross shape. Some small, inexpensive locks, such as on music boxes, or on small wooden jewelry boxes, are still made for such a key. Nowadays, locks of that kind, with simple two-bit, cross-shaped keys, are used for privacy rather than security. Then, as to the meaning in the Sonnet, the rich man considers himself blessed that he has a key to treasure. One can envision the rich man thanking god, and crossing himself, when he uses his "crossed" key to unlock his treasure. L8: captain Jewels = "leading" jewels. Jewels of exceptional beauty and value. "Jewels" is capitalized in the original printing because it has reference to a known person, the addressee, so it's indirectly a "personal name." Printing practice in the Poet's time tended to treat common nouns that referred to identifiable persons as names, and capitalized them. That practice is found in the original printings of the plays, as well as the Sonnets. L10: wardrobe In the Poet's time there was no mechanized mass production of clothing. Suits were custom made, and the fancy suits, for aristocrats (and pretenders,) could incorporate jewels, gold lace, and other such touches. Clothing could be extremely expensive (as it can be today, for that matter, for a fancy outfit.) A wardrobe (the item of furniture,) that contained such clothing, was like a jewel box. The clothing in this Sonnet "wardrobe" is of high financial value. ------- Sonnet 52 was probably written in the first half of the 1590s, after Shakespeare had gained a position in his business, and he foresaw the prospects of greater success, and wealth. The Sonnet implies he was making money, with the possibility of actual riches on his mind. |
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