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. Sonnet 86 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Was it the proud full sail of his great verse, 02. Bound for the prize of (all too precious) you, 03. That did my ripe thoughts in my brain inhearse, 04. Making their tomb the womb wherein they grew? 05. Was it his spirit, by spirits taught to write, 06. Above a mortal pitch, that struck me dead? 07. No, neither he, nor his compeers by night 08. Giving him aid, my verse astonished. 09. He nor that affable familiar ghost 10. Which nightly gulls him with intelligence, 11. As victors of my silence cannot boast, 12. I was not sick of any fear from thence. 13. But when your countenance filled up his line, 14. Then lacked I matter, that enfeebled mine. |
. Sonnet 86 . (paraphrased) 01. Was it the magnificent, billowing sails of his great "ship" of verse, 02. (As I saw it) Bound for the prize of all-too-precious you, 03. That caused me to keep and "bury" my fully-developed thoughts within my brain, 04. Entombing my thoughts in the same "womb" where they grew? 05. Was it his inspired talent, taught to write by supernatural forces, 06. Above and beyond the normal human reach, that struck me speechless? 07. No, neither he, himself, nor his nighttime companions 08. Assisting him, dismayed my poetic ability. 09. Neither he nor that talkative, well-known ghost writer 10. Who secretly tempts him with news, 11. Can boast of any poetic victory over me to cause my silence; 12. I was not indisposed due to any fear of ghosts. 13. But when your countenance took its place in his verse, 14. I was left out of countenance, and that enfeebled my verse. |
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Sonnet 86 Gloss
L1: proud = magnificent. L1: full = billowing. L3: ripe = fully developed. Like an infant developed and ready to be born. This is from the concept of a poem being a writer's "child." L3: inhearse = bury. L5: spirit = inspired talent. L5: spirits = supernatural forces. The mention of "spirits" is facetious. L6: pitch = height; reach. L6: dead = dumb; speechless. L7: compeers = companions. L9: affable = agreeable, talkative. L9: familiar = well known. L9: ghost = ghost writer. L10: nightly = secretly. Night is the time of secrets. The Poet is saying that his competitor has somebody helping him write his verse, in secret. L10: gulls = beguiles; tempts. L10: intelligence = information; news. L12: sick = indisposed. L12: from thence = of ghosts. L13: filled up = took its place in. Like filling a vacancy. L14: matter = subject matter. Countenance. (Note, to the right.) |
Sonnet 86 Notes
Sonnet 86 is a companion to Sonnet 80. It may, again, be by Edward de Vere, inherited by William Shakespeare. The "rival poet" would be, again, as in Sonnet 80, Sir Walter Raleigh, and the Poet insinuates that Raleigh used a ghost writer. Evidence exists to substantiate the Poet's insinuation, in the form of a poem headed "A Vision upon this conceit of the Faery Queene," included with Spenser's 'Faery Queene' (1590.) Although ascribed to Raleigh, the poem is by Christopher Marlowe. ------- L14: matter = subject matter. Countenance. There is an implicit joke in the conclusion. When the addressee's countenance took its place in the other poet's verse, it left the Poet "out of countenance," a phrase which means "disconcerted," or roughly, "enfeebled." See 'Love's Labours Lost' Act 5 scene 2. ~=~ Berowne: I and worne in the cappe of a Tooth-drawer: And now forward, for we haue put thee in countenance. Holofernes: You haue put me out of countenance. =~=~= |
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