Sonnet 46 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 46 : Mine Eye and Heart are at a Mortal War

INTRODUCTION:

One of the sonnets in the Fair Youth sequence, sonnet 46 expresses the fight ensues between the eye and the heart of the speaker. 

SONNET 46 : SUMMARY

There is a big battle between the eye and the heart of the poet for want of control over the youth. His eye wants to restrict the heart access to the youth's image it has formed. But his heart wants keep the eye away from his image. His heart argues that the youth's image has taken shelter into it and is safeguarded from that of the eyes which doesn't keep him safely. Yet the eye defends that the youth's beauty lies in it.

A jury comprising of his thoughts is being assembled to settle down the difference between the eye and the heart. The jury stands the side of the heart and concludes that the youth's outward appearance belongs to the eyes whereas the heart will have the right to love the youth and be loved by him. The eye has nothing to do with his love but only his physical beauty.

Sonnet 40 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 40: Take All My Love, My Dear, Take Them All

INTRODUCTION:

This sonnet talks about the speaker's love for the youth and his resentment on the youth's power over him. Sonnet 40 is also one of the sonnets in the Fair Youth sequence by Shakespeare and published in 1609.

SONNET 40: SUMMARY

However is the poet in love with the young man, he also has some wrath over his treacherous behaviour simultaneously.  But this wrath is dissembled against his love on the youth in abundance.

His beloved youth has looted his own love. Yet the speaker's wrath is not exposed much and he encourages the youth to take away his every belongings including his love.

Before his love for the youth, everything is worthless. He seems passive even after he is exhausted of everything. All are because of his limitless love for the young man which hides from his eyes all wrong doings that the young man does.

Sonnet 37 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 37 : As a Decrepit Father takes Delight to see His Active Child

INTRODUCTION:

Sonnet 37 is one among the Fair Youth sequence. It captures the emotions of an extremely affectionate and loving poet towards the youth.

SONNET 37: SUMMARY

The poet takes delight to see the young man like a 'Decrepit father takes pleasure to see his active child engaged in youthful activities'. He is delighted to witness the dazzling qualities of the youth whether it is beauty or nobility, wealth or intelligence, all his princely attributes. The poet wishes the youth has the best in all and when he has the best, the poet is more than happy. 

The poet is at good spirits when he hears people say good about the youth. He is merely satisfied with the youth's good luck and he is living through the youth.

Sonnet 30 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 30: When To The Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought

INTRODUCTION:

Written by the most popular English poet and playwright, Shakespeare, this sonnet is among his 154 sonnets and one among 126 Fair Youth sequence. Published as a part of 1609 quarto.

SONNET 30: SUMMARY

The poet sits alone recollecting his past. He realises that he hasn't achieved everything that he once strived for in the past. He adds new tears for old griefs. He grieves deeply for the time he has wasted in his life.

He then drowns in tears for the precious friends he has lost to the death's dateless night and weeps over the lost loves. And he sadly recounts all the grievances which he had already grieved about and tears again for the same. But when he begins to think about the youth, he regains everything he had lost and all his sorrows come to an end at once.

The poem talks about the pain of his memories and disappointments of past, the lost opportunities and friends, the lost pleasures etc., and how these affect later in his life while just reflecting on them.

Sonnet 24 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 24 : Mine Eyes Hath Played the Painter and Hath Stell'd

INTRODUCTION:

Sonnet 24 is one of the sonnets in the Fair Youth sequence written by Shakespeare.

SONNET 15 : SUMMARY

Shakespeare compares his eyes to a painter which has engraved the youth's beautiful image on the canvas of his heart. His whole body surrounds the image like a frame. Realistic painting requires certain skills. No painter or artist in the world has the highest skill, rather than his own eyes, to paint the soulful image of the youth to dwell continuously in his heart. 

The poet's eyes are the painter and the youth's eyes are the windows through which the poet sees his own heart. And through this window the sun also takes a look into his reflection. Other painters paint what they see, they are unable to see into the youth's heart. So only the poet's eyes have the right skill to paint the soulful image of the Fair Youth.

Sonnet 15 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 15 : When I Consider Everything That Grows

INTRODUCTION:

One of the sonnets in the series of procreation sonnets by William Shakespeare for the Fair Youth. But unlike other procreation sonnets, sonnet 15 does not encourage the youth to procreation directly. This poet wishes to capture and immortalise the youth's beauty in this sonnet.

SONNET 15 : SUMMARY

Shakespeare analyses in the beginning of the sonnet how things grow, mutate and decay in course of time. Everything that grows will continue to grow and fade away at one point of time. As with almost all procreation sonnets, this sonnet also employs 'time' as the main theme. As this transition of things is inevitable, one day the youth's beauty will fade away for sure. 

The poet believes that his verse has the power to immortalise the youth's beauty in them. Here the poet becomes a prophet. He exactly predicts the youth's beauty never declines until the people continue to study his verse. The poet in the sonnet deplores the youth's beauty fades away, but ironically it becomes immortal in his sonnets. Had the youth married and had children, his whole generation might have become extinct by now. But the youth and his beauty had been immortalised and continues to be so till today in his verse.

Sonnet 8 : Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary

Sonnet 8 : Music to Hear, Why hear'st Thou Music Sadly?

INTRODUCTION:

Sonnet 8 is also one among the procreation sonnets written for the Fair Youth. As all earlier sonnets, this sonnet also insists the youth to have a family of nice wife and beautiful children.

SONNET 8 : SUMMARY

The poet asks the youth why he prefers sad music when there's a chance for a good one. The poet reprimands the youth for choosing to be single rather than getting married and have children. He compares music - true concord of well tuned sounds - to marriage. He compares a single music note to the young man and a chord of music to the family. As the chord is the union of many sounds, the family means the union of father, mother and children.

A single note will not be a complete music. Similarly single person can never make a family. The true concord of well tuned sounds scolds the single note for being single, not a music. As many strings of music make one sound, so is the family comprising single members. Again and again, the poet scolds the youth for denying to marry and urges him to have family and children before the his beauty declines.