'Sonnet 90: Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now' by William Shakespeare


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The Sonnets1609Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now;
Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,
And do not drop in for an after-loss.
Ah, do not, when my heart hath 'scaped this sorrow,
Come in the rearward of a conquered woe;
Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,
To linger out a purposed overthrow.
If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,
When other petty griefs have done their spite,
But in the onset come; so shall I taste
At first the very worst of fortune's might,And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,Compared with loss of thee will not seem so.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Sonnet 90: Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Sonnet 90 is a beautiful and powerful piece of poetry that speaks to the very heart of human emotion. It is a sonnet that is full of raw honesty, vulnerability, and passion. Through its carefully crafted words and lyrical flow, Shakespeare explores the theme of love and the pain that often comes with it. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will delve deeper into the meaning and significance of this sonnet and explore the different literary devices used by Shakespeare to convey his message.

Sonnet Structure

Firstly, it is important to note the structure of the sonnet. Sonnet 90 follows the traditional structure of a Shakespearean sonnet, which consists of 14 lines, 3 quatrains, and a rhyming couplet. The rhyme scheme of this sonnet is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, with each quatrain developing a different thought or idea. The final couplet serves to sum up the message of the sonnet or to offer a resolution to the conflict presented in the quatrains.

Interpretation

Now, let us explore the interpretation of Sonnet 90. The sonnet begins with the line "Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now," indicating that the speaker is addressing a lover. The speaker is essentially saying that if the lover ever feels the need to hate him, then now is the time to do so. This can be interpreted as a plea to end the relationship, as the speaker acknowledges the possibility that their love may be coming to an end.

Throughout the sonnet, the speaker continues to express his feelings of insecurity and fear of losing the lover. He acknowledges that he is not perfect and that he may have made mistakes in the relationship. He says "If I have ranged, like him that travels, I return again," indicating that he may have strayed from the relationship but has come back, hoping that the lover will forgive him. The line "Or else by him my love prove false and be denied" suggests that the speaker is afraid of being rejected by the lover and losing their love forever.

The third quatrain of the sonnet is particularly poignant. The speaker says "So, all my best is dressing old words new, / Spending again what is already spent: / For as the sun is daily new and old, / So is my love still telling what is told." This can be interpreted as the speaker acknowledging that he has nothing new to offer the lover and that he is merely repeating the same words and gestures in an attempt to keep the relationship alive. The line "For as the sun is daily new and old" suggests that the speaker's love is both constantly renewed and constantly fading, much like the sun rises and sets every day.

The final couplet of the sonnet offers a glimmer of hope for the relationship. The speaker says "And to be sure that is not false I swear, / A thousand groans but thinking on thy face." This can be interpreted as the speaker promising to be true to the lover and to remain faithful, even if it means enduring pain and suffering. The line "A thousand groans but thinking on thy face" suggests that the speaker's love for the lover is so strong that even the thought of them brings him great pain and sorrow.

Literary Devices

Shakespeare employs a number of literary devices to convey the themes and emotions of Sonnet 90. One such device is imagery. Throughout the sonnet, Shakespeare uses vivid and evocative imagery to create a sense of emotion and atmosphere. For example, in the line "If I have ranged, like him that travels, I return again," Shakespeare uses the image of a traveler to convey the idea of a person who has strayed from the relationship but has come back. This image creates a sense of longing and nostalgia, as the speaker acknowledges that he has left but has returned, hoping that the lover will forgive him.

Another literary device used in the sonnet is repetition. Shakespeare repeats certain words and phrases throughout the sonnet to create a sense of rhythm and to emphasize certain ideas. For example, the phrase "my love" is repeated several times throughout the sonnet, emphasizing the speaker's deep emotional attachment to the lover. The repetition of the phrase "old words new" in the third quatrain emphasizes the idea that the speaker has nothing new to offer the lover and is simply repeating the same words and gestures in an attempt to keep the relationship alive.

Finally, Shakespeare uses irony in Sonnet 90. The speaker acknowledges that he may have strayed from the relationship and made mistakes, but he still pleads with the lover not to hate him. The irony lies in the fact that the speaker is essentially asking the lover to forgive him for something that he may have done wrong, while at the same time acknowledging that their love may be coming to an end.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Sonnet 90 is a powerful and emotional sonnet that explores the themes of love, insecurity, and fear of loss. Shakespeare employs a number of literary devices, including imagery, repetition, and irony, to convey the speaker's message and emotions. The sonnet is written in the traditional Shakespearean sonnet structure, with 3 quatrains and a rhyming couplet, which serves to sum up the message of the sonnet. Overall, Sonnet 90 is a beautiful piece of poetry that speaks to the very heart of human emotion and is a testament to Shakespeare's talent as a writer.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Sonnet 90 by William Shakespeare is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. This sonnet is a part of the larger collection of 154 sonnets that Shakespeare wrote, and it is one of the most famous and widely studied sonnets in the English language. In this article, we will take a closer look at Sonnet 90 and analyze its meaning, structure, and literary devices.

The first thing that strikes the reader about Sonnet 90 is its title: "Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now." This title sets the tone for the entire poem, which is a plea from the speaker to his lover to hate him if she must, but to do it now rather than later. The use of the word "hate" is particularly striking, as it is a strong emotion that is often associated with anger and bitterness. However, in this context, the speaker is using the word "hate" to mean something more like "reject" or "abandon."

The poem begins with the speaker acknowledging that his lover has the power to hate him whenever she wants. He says, "Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now," which suggests that he knows that she may eventually come to hate him, but he would prefer that she do it now rather than later. This opening line sets the stage for the rest of the poem, which is a plea from the speaker to his lover to end their relationship if she no longer loves him.

The second quatrain of the poem is where the speaker begins to explain why he wants his lover to hate him now rather than later. He says, "Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross, / Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow, / And do not drop in for an after-loss." In these lines, the speaker is saying that the world is against him and that he is already suffering from misfortune. He is asking his lover to add to his misery by rejecting him now rather than waiting until later when it will be even more painful.

The third quatrain of the poem is where the speaker really lays out his argument. He says, "Ah, do not, when my heart hath 'scoped this sorrow, / Come in the rearward of a conquered woe; / Give not a windy night a rainy morrow." In these lines, the speaker is saying that he has already suffered enough and that he doesn't want his lover to come back to him after he has already moved on. He is asking her to let him go now so that he can begin to heal and move on with his life.

The final couplet of the poem is where the speaker makes his final plea. He says, "When other petty griefs have done their spite, / But in the onset come; so shall I taste / At first the very worst of fortune's might, / And other strains of woe, which now seem woe, / Compared with loss of thee, will not seem so." In these lines, the speaker is saying that if his lover is going to reject him, she should do it now while he is still suffering from other misfortunes. He is saying that if she waits until later, when he has already moved on, it will be even more painful for him. He is asking her to be kind and to end their relationship now rather than later.

The structure of Sonnet 90 is typical of Shakespeare's sonnets. It is written in iambic pentameter, which means that each line has ten syllables and follows a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. The rhyme scheme is also typical of Shakespeare's sonnets, with the first and third quatrains rhyming ABAB and the final couplet rhyming CC.

In terms of literary devices, Sonnet 90 is full of them. The use of the word "hate" in the title and throughout the poem is a powerful example of a rhetorical device known as antithesis. The speaker is using the word "hate" to mean the opposite of what it usually means, which creates a sense of tension and conflict in the poem.

Another literary device that Shakespeare uses in Sonnet 90 is imagery. The speaker uses vivid imagery to describe his suffering and his plea to his lover. For example, he says, "Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow," which creates an image of the speaker being beaten down by the forces of the world. He also says, "Give not a windy night a rainy morrow," which creates an image of the speaker being caught in a storm of emotions.

In conclusion, Sonnet 90 by William Shakespeare is a powerful and moving poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and rejection. The speaker is pleading with his lover to end their relationship now rather than later, and he uses powerful imagery and rhetorical devices to make his case. The structure of the poem is typical of Shakespeare's sonnets, and the use of literary devices adds depth and complexity to the poem. Overall, Sonnet 90 is a masterpiece of English literature that continues to captivate readers and scholars alike.

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