'Sonnet 128: How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st' by William Shakespeare
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How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st,
Upon that blessèd wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st
The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap,
At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand!
To be so tickled, they would change their state
And situation with those dancing chips
O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,
Making dead wood more blest than living lips.
Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Sonnet 128: How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st
William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest playwright and poet in the English language, wrote 154 sonnets that have stood the test of time. Among these is Sonnet 128, a poem that speaks of the power of music in the expression of love and desire.
Overview
The sonnet is addressed to a musician, who is also the speaker's lover. The first two lines of the poem set the stage for the rest of the sonnet: "How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st,/ Upon that blessèd wood whose motion sounds". The speaker is saying that the musician's music is like a blessed wood, whose motion produces a beautiful sound.
The following lines describe how the music affects the speaker: "With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st/ The wiry concord that mine ear confounds". The music is so sweet that it confounds the speaker's ear, meaning it overwhelms and confuses it.
The speaker then goes on to describe the physical effect that the music has on him: "Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap". Jacks are mechanical figures that move quickly in response to music, and the speaker is saying that he wishes he could move as quickly and nimbly as these jacks in response to the music.
The final lines of the sonnet return to the idea of the musician's music being like a blessed wood: "To hear the sweet melodious harmony/ That sweetly strains from thy enchanting tongue". The speaker is saying that the music is like a sweet and enchanting tongue that produces a melodious harmony.
Analysis
Sonnet 128 is a beautiful and powerful expression of the power of music in the expression of love and desire. The poem is rich with imagery and metaphor, and the language is both lyrical and sensual.
The first two lines of the sonnet set the stage for the rest of the poem by establishing the image of the blessed wood whose motion produces a beautiful sound. This image is central to the poem, and serves as a metaphor for the musician's music. The wood is blessed because it produces such a beautiful sound, and the music is blessed because it produces such a powerful emotional response in the speaker.
The next two lines describe how the music affects the speaker. The language is sensual and suggestive, with the speaker describing how the music "confounds" his ear. This suggests that the music is so overwhelming and powerful that it has a physical effect on the speaker.
The following lines describe the speaker's desire to move with the music, to be as nimble and quick as the jacks that move in response to the music. This desire is rooted in the speaker's overwhelming emotional response to the music, and suggests that the music has a powerful effect on both the body and the mind.
The final lines of the sonnet return to the metaphor of the blessed wood, describing the music as a sweet and enchanting tongue that produces a melodious harmony. The language is once again sensual and suggestive, with the speaker describing the music as "enchanting" and "sweet". This suggests that the music is not just a physical experience, but also a deeply emotional and spiritual one.
Interpretation
Sonnet 128 is often interpreted as a poem about the power of music in the expression of love and desire. The language is sensual and suggestive, with the speaker describing the music as something that overwhelms and confounds the senses. This suggests that the music is not just a physical experience, but also a deeply emotional and spiritual one.
The metaphor of the blessed wood is central to the poem, and suggests that the music is a gift or blessing that has been bestowed upon the speaker. The music is described as a sweet and enchanting tongue that produces a melodious harmony, suggesting that it is not just a physical experience, but also a deeply emotional and spiritual one.
One possible interpretation of the sonnet is that the speaker is expressing his desire to be one with the music, to be as nimble and quick as the jacks that move in response to the music. This desire is rooted in the speaker's overwhelming emotional response to the music, and suggests that the music has a powerful effect on both the body and the mind.
Another possible interpretation of the sonnet is that the speaker is expressing his desire to be with the musician, whom he addresses in the poem. The speaker describes the musician's music as a blessing, and suggests that he is envious of the way the music affects the musician. This suggests that the speaker is deeply attached to the musician, and that the music is a symbol of their love and desire for each other.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Sonnet 128 is a beautiful and powerful expression of the power of music in the expression of love and desire. The language is sensual and suggestive, and the imagery and metaphor are rich and evocative. The central image of the blessed wood is a powerful metaphor for the musician's music, which is described as a sweet and enchanting tongue that produces a melodious harmony. The poem is a testament to the power of music to move the body and the soul, and to express the deepest emotions of the human heart.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Sonnet 128: How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st, is a classic poem written by the legendary William Shakespeare. This sonnet is one of the most popular and widely studied poems in the world of literature. It is a beautiful and complex piece of writing that explores the themes of love, music, and desire. In this article, we will take a closer look at Sonnet 128 and analyze its meaning, structure, and language.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing his lover, who is also his music. He talks about how often he thinks of his lover when he is playing music. The speaker is deeply in love with his lover, and he finds that music is the perfect way to express his feelings. He says, "How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st, / Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds / With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st / The wiry concord that mine ear confounds," (lines 1-4). The speaker is describing how his lover's music affects him. He is saying that when his lover plays music, it is like a blessing. The sound of the music is so beautiful that it confounds his ear.
The speaker then goes on to describe how his lover's music affects him physically. He says, "Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap, / To kiss the tender inward of thy hand, / Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap, / At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand!" (lines 5-8). The speaker is saying that he envies the jacks, which are the keys on a musical instrument. He wishes that he could kiss his lover's hand like the jacks do. However, he feels that he cannot because he is too shy. He is saying that his lover's music makes him feel vulnerable and exposed.
The speaker then goes on to describe how his lover's music affects him emotionally. He says, "To be so tickled, they would change their state / And situation with those dancing chips, / O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait, / Making dead wood more blest than living lips." (lines 9-12). The speaker is saying that the jacks would be willing to change places with the chips, which are the wooden parts of the musical instrument. He is saying that his lover's music is so beautiful that it makes the wood more blessed than his own lips. He is saying that his lover's music is more important to him than anything else in the world.
The speaker then goes on to describe how his lover's music affects him spiritually. He says, "Since saucy jacks so happy are in this, / Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss." (lines 13-14). The speaker is saying that since the jacks are so happy to be touched by his lover's fingers, he wishes that he could be kissed by his lover's lips. He is saying that his lover's music is so powerful that it makes him want to be closer to her in every way possible.
The structure of Sonnet 128 is a classic Shakespearean sonnet. It consists of three quatrains and a final couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which means that each line has ten syllables and follows a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables. The use of iambic pentameter gives the poem a musical quality that complements the theme of music.
The language used in Sonnet 128 is rich and complex. Shakespeare uses a variety of literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification to convey the speaker's emotions. For example, the speaker describes his lover's music as a "blessed wood whose motion sounds" (line 2). This is a metaphor that compares the sound of the music to the motion of a forest. The speaker also uses personification when he describes the wood as "boldness" (line 7). This gives the wood a human quality and makes it seem more alive.
In conclusion, Sonnet 128: How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st, is a beautiful and complex poem that explores the themes of love, music, and desire. The speaker is deeply in love with his lover, and he finds that music is the perfect way to express his feelings. The structure of the poem is a classic Shakespearean sonnet, and the language used is rich and complex. Shakespeare uses a variety of literary devices to convey the speaker's emotions. This poem is a testament to Shakespeare's genius and his ability to capture the essence of human emotions in his writing.
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