The Place 2 Be: Shakespeare's Sonnets

Critique of Sonnet 23

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS

Theme: The Look of Love
Content: The author wishing the subject to look for his love rather than hear it as the author is aurally inexpressible. Also the early introduction of the Rival Poet.

As an unperfect actor on the stage
Who with his fear is put besides his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart,

“Just like an amateur actor struck by stage-fright, or an animal out of control with rage.”

Several mid-line alliterations: …fect, fear, fierce; unperfect, …undance; replete, rage; …fect, actor.

Amusing rhyme yielding “stage-rage” countering the more typical “stage-fright”.

Paradox between the author being unable to speak through either fear or the opposite: being fierce.

So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love's rite,
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay,
O'er-charged with burden of mine own love's might.

“So I, fearing betrayal, am lost for words and overpowered by the strength of my own love for you.”

Heavy emphasis on love as the key to this quatrain and sonnet.

O let my books be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.

This seems to refer to personal literary works written by the author that are now lost.

The look of love is echoed in eloquence.

O learn to read what silent love hath writ;
To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit.

The sonnet ends on love, central to the theme and echoed in belongs.