Sonnet XLIII Analysis

Author: Poetry of William Shakespeare Type: Poetry Views: 465

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow's form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

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||| Analysis | Critique | Overview Below |||

.: meter :.

Note that line 10 deviates from the meter of most of the poem. Instead of iambic pentameter, the line is in tetrameter. It may be divided as follows:

iamb/anapaest/anapaest/iamb
By look/ing on thee/ in the liv/ing day

This gives the the line a little more speed, thus echoing the desire to get through the day and close his eyes so that he may look upon his beloved in dreams.
Also notice the way the monosyllabic couplet at the end is slowed down with the iambic pentameter (which also has a lulling, sleepy quality).

| Posted on 2005-07-16 | by Approved Guest

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