Sonnet 132: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me
Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,
Have put on black and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
And truly not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east,
Nor that full star that ushers in the even,
Doth half that glory to the sober west,
As those two mourning eyes become thy face:
O! let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,
And suit thy pity like in every part.
Then will I swear beauty herself is black,
And all they foul that thy complexion lack.
Summary of Sonnet 132: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me
- Popularity of “Sonnet 132”: Written by William Shakespeare, a phenomenal English poet and writer, “Sonnet 132” is part of the sonnets associated with The Dark Lady. This descriptive poem deals with the speaker’s relationship with his lady. Also, it intensifies the speaker’s feelings of being controlled and influenced by the eyes of the dark lady. It won global fame because it talks about the magical power of love.
- “Sonnet 132” As a Representative of Woe: This sonnet unveils the lady’s disdain and pity for the speaker through the description of her eyes. It begins when the speaker says he dislikes how his mistress treats him. He is sensible enough to feel that the lady looks down upon him, but he loves her despite this unjust treatment. It seems that the speaker loves her profoundly and considers the light of her eyes better than the light of the sun. The sun is undoubtedly beautiful and bright, yet its beauty is nothing in front of the dark lady’s shining eyes. In the poem’s final stanza, the speaker calls the lady’s eyes “two mourning eyes,” implying that she mourns the suffering she has caused the speaker. However, the speaker, on his side, is happy to deal with her mournful eyes because they belong to him.
- Major Themes in “Sonnet 132”: The power of love, beauty, and relationship are the major themes of the poem. The poem depicts an unfortunate situation of a person who prefers love even after receiving harsh treatment. Throughout the poem, the speaker plays with the words to create meaning in the poem. By comparing his mistress’s eyes to the sun, he talks about the beauty and warmth he sees in her eyes. However, at the same time, he calls her eyes mournful because he assumes the lady might feel sorry for how she has been treating the speaker. After building a logical argument, the speaker ends this poem with a simple confession that he is willing to walk with her despite her disdainful looks. In other words, the speaker says that once a person falls in love, he never hesitates to tolerate the indifferent behavior of his beloved.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 132: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me
William Shakespeare used some literary devices in the poem to heighten the intended impact of the poem. The analysis of the devices used in the poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me” and the sound of /o/ in “As those two mourning eyes become thy face.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick successions, such as the sound of /b / in “Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,” and the sound of /n/ in “To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“As those two mourning eyes become thy face:
O! let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. William Shakespeare used imagery in this poem, such as; “Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east”, “As those two mourning eyes become thy face” and “To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace.”
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The poet has used this device in the opening lines of the poem, where he talks about the indifferent behavior of the lady who controls him;
“Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet has used love as an extended metaphor to show its power and grandeur.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as love, power, control, and unjust behavior.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 132: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows descriptive, simple, and poetic diction.
- End Rhyme: The end Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Shakespeare has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “me/bee” “face/grace” and “black/lack.”
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line. The poem follows iambic pentameter, such as; “To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABABCDCD in its octave and EFEFGG rhyme scheme in its sestet.
- Sonnet: It is a poem of fourteen lines. This poem is a sonnet.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. Initially, the poem shows a somber tone, but later it turns informative and passionate.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to explain how one feels when he fails to receive the desired attention.
Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,
Have put on black and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
