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.
