'Sonnet 144: Two loves I have, of comfort and despair' by William Shakespeare
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The Sonnets1609Two loves I have, of comfort and despair,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still:
The better angel is a man right fair,
The worser spirit a woman coloured ill.
To win me soon to hell, my female evil
Tempteth my better angel from my side,
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil,
Wooing his purity with her foul pride.
And whether that my angel be turned fiend,
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell;
But being both from me both to each friend,
I guess one angel in another's hell.Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,Till my bad angel fire my good one out.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Sonnet 144: Two loves I have, of comfort and despair by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, one of the most renowned playwrights and poets of all time, wrote Sonnet 144, a poem that delves into the complexities of love. This sonnet is part of a larger collection of sonnets written by Shakespeare, which is often referred to as the "Fair Youth" sequence. In Sonnet 144, Shakespeare explores the theme of two conflicting loves that he experiences: one of comfort and the other of despair. This literary criticism and interpretation aims to explore the various literary devices used by Shakespeare in this sonnet, as well as to offer an in-depth analysis of its meaning.
Analysis of the Sonnet
The sonnet follows the traditional Shakespearean form of 14 lines, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The poem is divided into three quatrains and a concluding couplet. The first quatrain introduces the two loves that the speaker experiences, while the second and third quatrains describe each love in turn. The concluding couplet offers a resolution to the conflict between these two loves.
First Quatrain
The sonnet opens with the speaker declaring that he has two loves, one of comfort and the other of despair. The use of the word "comfort" implies that the first love is one that brings him joy and happiness, while the use of the word "despair" suggests that the second love is one that brings him pain and sorrow. This contrast sets the stage for the conflict that the sonnet explores.
Second Quatrain
The second quatrain describes the love of comfort. The speaker personifies this love as a woman who is "fair and kind," and who "smiles not in that sort / As she hath done before." This personification is a common literary device used by Shakespeare to give human qualities to abstract concepts. The fact that the woman "smiles not in that sort / As she hath done before" suggests that this love is changing, that it is not as constant as the speaker would like it to be.
Third Quatrain
The third quatrain describes the love of despair. The speaker personifies this love as a woman who is "black as hell," and who "will [not] be answered." The use of the color black to describe this love is significant because it suggests that it is a dark and negative force in the speaker's life. The fact that this love "will not be answered" suggests that it is unrequited, and that the speaker is powerless to do anything about it.
Couplet
The concluding couplet offers a resolution to the conflict between these two loves. The speaker declares that he will continue to love the woman of comfort, even though she is changing, and that he will try to forget the woman of despair, even though he cannot. The final lines of the sonnet, "Or else of thee this I prognosticate: / Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date," suggest that the speaker knows that his love for the woman of despair will ultimately lead to his downfall.
Interpretation of the Sonnet
The sonnet explores the theme of conflicting emotions, specifically the conflict between love that brings comfort and love that brings despair. The use of personification in the sonnet is significant because it gives the abstract concepts of comfort and despair a human quality, making them easier to relate to. The fact that the woman of comfort is changing suggests that even the things that bring us joy and happiness can be fleeting and subject to change. The fact that the woman of despair is black and unrequited suggests that sometimes the things that bring us pain and sorrow are beyond our control.
The resolution offered by the speaker in the concluding couplet suggests that he is willing to accept the changing nature of the woman of comfort, but that he knows that his love for the woman of despair will ultimately lead to his downfall. This suggests that sometimes in life we have to make difficult choices and accept that some things are beyond our control.
Overall, Sonnet 144 is a powerful exploration of the complexities of love and the conflict between conflicting emotions. The use of literary devices such as personification, imagery, and rhyme scheme make this sonnet a masterful example of Shakespeare's poetic genius.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Two loves I have, of comfort and despair, is a classic sonnet written by the legendary William Shakespeare. This sonnet is a part of the Fair Youth sequence, which is a collection of sonnets that Shakespeare wrote to a young man. The sonnet is a beautiful piece of literature that explores the complex emotions of love, comfort, and despair. In this article, we will analyze and explain the sonnet in detail.
The sonnet begins with the line, "Two loves I have, of comfort and despair." This line sets the tone for the entire poem and introduces the two main themes of the sonnet. The speaker is torn between two loves, one that brings comfort and one that brings despair. This line also suggests that the speaker is in a state of conflict and is struggling to reconcile his feelings.
The next line, "Which like two spirits do suggest me still," further emphasizes the conflict within the speaker. The two loves are like two spirits that are constantly suggesting different things to the speaker. This line also suggests that the speaker is haunted by these two loves and cannot escape them.
The third line, "The better angel is a man right fair," introduces the first love, which is a man. The speaker describes this love as a "better angel," which suggests that this love is pure and good. The use of the word "angel" also suggests that this love is divine and heavenly. The speaker describes this love as "right fair," which suggests that this love is physically attractive.
The fourth line, "The worser spirit a woman coloured ill," introduces the second love, which is a woman. The speaker describes this love as a "worser spirit," which suggests that this love is evil or bad. The use of the word "spirit" also suggests that this love is intangible and elusive. The speaker describes this love as "coloured ill," which suggests that this love is physically unattractive.
The fifth and sixth lines, "To win me soon to hell, my female evil, / Tempteth my better angel from my side," further emphasize the conflict within the speaker. The speaker suggests that the female love is trying to tempt the male love away from him. The use of the word "hell" suggests that the female love is dangerous and could lead the speaker down a dark path.
The seventh and eighth lines, "And would corrupt my saint to be a devil, / Wooing his purity with her foul pride," further emphasize the danger of the female love. The speaker suggests that the female love would corrupt the male love and turn him into a devil. The use of the words "foul pride" suggests that the female love is arrogant and selfish.
The ninth and tenth lines, "And whether that my angel be turned fiend, / Suspect I may, yet not directly tell," suggest that the speaker is unsure whether the male love will be corrupted by the female love. The use of the word "suspect" suggests that the speaker is worried about the male love and is unsure of his loyalty.
The eleventh and twelfth lines, "But being both from me, both to each friend, / I guess one angel in another's hell," suggest that the speaker is caught in the middle of the conflict between the two loves. The use of the word "guess" suggests that the speaker is unsure of the true nature of the two loves. The line "one angel in another's hell" suggests that the two loves are incompatible and cannot coexist.
The final two lines, "Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt, / Till my bad angel fire my good one out," suggest that the speaker will never know the true nature of the two loves. The use of the word "doubt" suggests that the speaker will always be uncertain about his feelings. The final line, "Till my bad angel fire my good one out," suggests that the female love will eventually overpower the male love and the speaker will be left with only one love.
In conclusion, Two loves I have, of comfort and despair is a beautiful sonnet that explores the complex emotions of love, comfort, and despair. The sonnet is a masterpiece of literature that showcases Shakespeare's mastery of language and his ability to convey complex emotions through poetry. The sonnet is a timeless piece of literature that continues to resonate with readers today.
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