Sonnet 138
When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told.
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.
Meanings of Sonnet 138 by William Shakespeare
The poem “Sonnet 138” demonstrates the speaker’s attitude toward lies his beloved speaks. He is of the view that these lies do not hurt anybody but preserve their love relationship. The main idea of the sonnet is the flattery of his beloved and the wilful neglect he displays toward the lies told by his beloved.
Meanings of Lines 1-4
When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearnèd in the world’s false subtleties.
The speaker presents his beloved, who claims that she always speaks the truth, and the speaker says that he has no choice but to believe her. However, the interesting thing about this issue is that he knows that she tells lies and might have taken the speaker as an “untutored youth” who is ignorant of the lies she tells. Yet, he is forced by his love to believe what she speaks. These four lines present the main theme that love forces the young man to believe in his beloved. Love has such a power and capacity to turn black into white and white into black. These verses contribute to the main idea of flattering his beloved.
Meanings of Lines 5-8
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
The speaker states that he thinks in vain that his beloved takes him as a young man, and she knows it that he has passed his prime. Although he credits her for speaking the truth, he knows that his beloved has suppressed the truth on both occasions. In fact, it is the act of love that has forced him to accept the lies of his beloved as truths. Otherwise, he is fully aware that she is telling lies about him as well. This could be flattery as well, but that is part of the lies, the main idea of the sonnet.
Meanings of Lines 8-12
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told.
The speaker asks the reason for her being unjust or his being old. He further asks the reason what she says is unjust or what she tells about him that he is old. In fact, it is the habit of love to have trust in each other. The age of the speaker demonstrates that love does not see age when it starts. Or in other words, there is no issue of age when it comes to love. These verses further contribute to the overall meaning of the sonnet that love does not raise objections and does not see age.
Meanings of Lines 13-14
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.
This final couplet presents the main idea of the sonnet, which is to trust lies when in love and flatter each other. The speaker states that due to all these reasons, both he and his beloved lie to each other, and it does not matter as this act does not harm them. This is how they commit a mistake but flatter each other as it is a panacea of their love. As it is the main idea of the sonnet, it ends here that both of them feel flattered by hiding this mistake from each other.
Summary of Sonnet 138
- Popularity of “Sonnet 138”: William Shakespeare, a renowned English poet, and playwright, wrote ‘Sonnet 138’. It is one of the best sonnets about love. It was first published in 1609 in The Passionate Pilgrim. This poem is about two lovers who ignore each other’s shortcomings to continue their relationship and ignore their flaws. It illustrates how they deceive each other to enjoy the bliss of artificial love.
- “Sonnet 138” As a Representative of Flattery: The poem is about love. The speaker illustrates how his mistress swears that she is completely honest and loyal. Interestingly, the speaker is aware of her tricky nature. However, he never makes her feel ashamed of her lies. He adds he believed thinks that he is a naive person who is ignorant of the world. Despite knowing her nature, he never tries to challenge her opinion. As the poem continues the speaker questions why they tell lies to each other. The lady knows that his lover has passed his prime yet she considers him a dashing young man. The speaker also knows that she is flattering him. Thus, convincing each other against the insecurities of aging. In fact, both do not want to accept the pinching realities and each other’s faults. Therefore, they find comfort in lying just to stay together and surpass simple truths for the sake of love.
- Major Themes in “Sonnet 138”: Love, flattery, and lust are the major themes of this poem. This poem is about two lovers whose illegitimate love affair is coated with lust and sweet lies. The speaker is an old and experienced man, while her lady thinks that he is an innocent young guy who has not tasted the cunningness of the world. The speaker knows that she is flattering him. However, he never tries to let her down. Thus, instead of acknowledging each other’s flaws, they flatter each other by lying about their faults.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 138
literary devices are tools used by writers to express their idea, feelings, and emotions. It also makes the text appealing to the readers. Shakespeare also used some literary devices in this poem to make it appealing. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is listed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /i/ in “Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, such as the sound of /s/ in “On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Although she knows my days are past the best” and “Therefore I lie with her and she with me.”
- Personification: Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. Shakespeare personifies love in the eleventh line, “Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust.”
- Paradox: A paradox is a statement that may seem contradictory but can be true. For example, “Nature’s first green is gold” and “I do believe her, though I know she lies.”
- Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a sentence that is posed to make the point clear. For example,
“But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?”
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Sonnet 138”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Couplet: There are two constructive lines of verse in a couplet, usually in the same meter and joined by the same rhyming pattern. This sonnet ends with a couplet, which usually reveals the central idea of the poem.
- End Rhyme: The end Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. For example, “truth/youth”, “young/tongue”, “me/be” and “old/told.”
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line. The poem follows iambic pentameter, such as; “When my love swears that she is made of”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme in the first two stanzas, whereas the couplet follows the AA rhyme scheme.
- Sonnet: A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem usually written in iambic pentameter. This Shakespearean sonnet consists of an octave and a sestet.
Quotes to be Used
The lines stated below are useful to use in a speech while narrating the attributes of love based on false hopes and lies.
“Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.”
