'Sonnet 95: How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame' by William Shakespeare
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How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame
Which, like a canker in the fragrant rose,
Doth spot the beauty of thy budding name!
O, in what sweets dost thou thy sins enclose!
That tongue that tells the story of thy days,
Making lascivious comments on thy sport,
Cannot dispraise, but in a kind of praise,
Naming thy name, blesses an ill report.
O, what a mansion have those vices got
Which for their habitation chose out thee,
Where beauty's veil doth cover every blot,
And all things turns to fair that eyes can see!
Take heed, dear heart, of this large privilege;
The hardest knife ill-used doth lose his edge.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Sonnet 95: How Sweet and Lovely Dost Thou Make the Shame by William Shakespeare
Oh, what a joy it is to dive deep into the nuances of Shakespeare's sonnets! In this literary criticism, I will be analyzing Sonnet 95: How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame, written by the Bard himself. This sonnet is a part of the Fair Youth sequence, a series of 126 sonnets addressed to an unnamed young man, who is the object of Shakespeare's affection.
Context
Before we delve into the poem, let's first understand the context in which it was written. The Fair Youth sequence is believed to have been written in the early 1590s. Scholars speculate that the young man in question might have been Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, who was also a patron of Shakespeare's. The sonnets addressed to the young man are full of love, admiration, and jealousy. Shakespeare's feelings are intense and raw, and he expresses them through the use of intricate metaphors and imagery.
Analysis
Sonnet 95 is a powerful indictment of the young man's behavior. The poet is deeply hurt by the young man's actions, which have caused him shame and disgrace. However, amidst all the pain, the poet still finds himself drawn to the young man, who has the power to make him forget his troubles and feel alive again.
Let's now take a closer look at the sonnet, line by line.
Line 1-2
"How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame Which, like a canker in the fragrant rose,"
The first two lines of the sonnet are an oxymoron. The poet addresses the young man and tells him that he makes the shame sweet and lovely. Shame is usually associated with unpleasant feelings of guilt, remorse, and disgrace. However, the poet is saying that the young man's behavior makes even the shame feel endearing.
The metaphor of the canker in the fragrant rose is a powerful one. A canker is a disease that affects roses and causes them to wither and die. The fragrant rose represents the poet's love, which is afflicted by the young man's actions. The young man is the canker, destroying the beauty of the rose.
Lines 3-4
"Doth spot the beauty of thy budding name! O, in what sweets dost thou thy sins enclose!"
The third and fourth lines are an exclamation. The poet is expressing his agony at the young man's behavior. The young man's actions are spoiling his good name, which is still in its budding stage. The poet is asking him why he is committing these sins and how he can make them seem so sweet.
Line 5-6
"That tongue that tells the story of thy days, Making lascivious comments on thy sport,"
In the fifth and sixth lines, the poet is criticizing the young man's friends. He accuses them of making lascivious comments about the young man's behavior, which is causing him shame. The tongue that tells the story of thy days refers to the young man's friends who gossip about his actions.
Line 7-8
"Cannot dispraise but in a kind of praise; Naming thy name blesses an ill report."
In the seventh and eighth lines, the poet is saying that even when the young man's friends criticize him, they do so in a way that sounds like praise. Naming thy name blesses an ill report means that even when they talk about the young man's shameful actions, they still do so in a way that makes him seem blessed.
Line 9-10
"O, what a mansion have those vices got Which for their habitation chose out thee,"
In the ninth and tenth lines, the poet is highlighting the young man's vices. He is saying that the young man's vices have found a luxurious mansion in him. The poet is asking why the young man, who is so sweet and lovely, has chosen to harbor such vices within himself.
Line 11-12
"Where beauty's veil doth cover every blot, And all things turns to fair that eyes can see!"
In the eleventh and twelfth lines, the poet is saying that the young man's beauty is such that it covers up all his flaws. Everything that the eyes can see turns to fair when it is in his presence. The poet is emphasizing the young man's attractive qualities, which are the very qualities that have caused him to fall into disgrace.
Line 13-14
"Take heed, dear heart, of this large privilege; The hardest knife ill used doth lose his edge."
In the final couplet, the poet is warning the young man to take heed of his privilege of being so attractive. He is saying that even the hardest knife will lose its edge if it is not used properly. The young man needs to use his beauty and charm wisely, or else he will lose it.
Interpretation
Sonnet 95 is a beautiful and melancholic poem. It is a tribute to the power of beauty and its ability to both attract and destroy. Shakespeare is warning the young man of the dangers of his own beauty, which has caused him to fall into disgrace. The young man's friends are also implicated in his downfall, as they are the ones who encourage his sinful behavior.
The poem's opening lines are an oxymoron, which sets the tone for the rest of the sonnet. The young man's behavior is both sweet and shameful, and the poet is torn between his feelings of love and disgust. The metaphor of the canker in the fragrant rose is a powerful one, highlighting the fact that the young man's behavior is destroying the beauty of the poet's love.
The exclamation in lines three and four is an expression of the poet's agony at the young man's behavior. He cannot understand why the young man is committing these sins or how he can make them seem so sweet. The poet's criticism of the young man's friends in lines five and six is a harsh indictment of their moral character. They are enabling the young man's behavior, which is causing him shame.
The final couplet is a warning to the young man to be careful with his beauty and charm. He needs to use them wisely, or else he will lose them. The metaphor of the knife losing its edge is a poignant one, emphasizing the fact that beauty is a powerful weapon that can cut both ways.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sonnet 95: How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame is a powerful expression of Shakespeare's feelings towards the young man. The poem highlights the dangers of beauty and its ability to both attract and destroy. The young man's behavior is both sweet and shameful, and the poet is torn between his feelings of love and disgust. The final couplet is a warning to the young man to use his beauty wisely, or else he will lose it. Sonnet 95 is a beautiful and melancholic poem that showcases Shakespeare's mastery of language and metaphor.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Sonnet 95: How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame, written by the legendary William Shakespeare, is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. This sonnet is a beautiful and complex piece of literature that explores the themes of love, shame, and beauty. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its meaning, structure, and literary devices.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing his lover, telling her how sweet and lovely she makes the shame. The shame referred to here is likely the shame that the speaker feels for loving someone who is not considered worthy of his love. This could be due to social status, age, or any other factor that would make their love taboo.
The speaker goes on to describe how his lover's beauty makes the shame seem sweet and lovely. This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that love can overcome societal norms and expectations. The speaker is saying that his lover's beauty is so great that it makes the shame of their love seem insignificant.
The second quatrain of the poem explores the idea of shame further. The speaker says that shame is like a disease that infects his heart, but his lover's beauty is like a medicine that cures it. This metaphor is a powerful one, as it suggests that love can heal even the deepest wounds.
The third quatrain of the poem explores the idea of beauty further. The speaker says that his lover's beauty is so great that it can even make ugly things seem beautiful. This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that beauty is not just about physical appearance, but also about the way we see the world.
The final couplet of the poem brings all of these ideas together. The speaker says that his lover's beauty is so great that it can even make shame seem sweet and lovely. This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that love can overcome even the most difficult obstacles.
The structure of the poem is a classic Shakespearean sonnet, with three quatrains and a final couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, which is a common rhyme scheme for Shakespearean sonnets. The iambic pentameter is also present throughout the poem, which gives it a rhythmic and musical quality.
The poem also makes use of several literary devices, including metaphor, simile, and personification. The metaphor of shame as a disease is particularly powerful, as it suggests that shame can be cured like an illness. The simile of beauty as a medicine is also powerful, as it suggests that love can heal even the deepest wounds. The personification of shame and beauty is also effective, as it gives these abstract concepts a human quality.
In conclusion, Sonnet 95: How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame, written by William Shakespeare, is a beautiful and complex poem that explores the themes of love, shame, and beauty. The poem is structured as a classic Shakespearean sonnet, with three quatrains and a final couplet. The poem makes use of several literary devices, including metaphor, simile, and personification. The poem is a powerful statement about the transformative power of love, and it is a testament to Shakespeare's skill as a poet.
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