Sonnet 145
Those lips that Love’s own hand did make
Breathed forth the sound that said ‘I hate,’
To me that languish’d for her sake:
But when she saw my woeful state,
Straight in her heart did mercy come,
Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom,
And taught it thus anew to greet:
‘I hate’ she alter’d with an end,
That follow’d it as gentle day
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away;
’I hate’ from hate away she threw,
And saved my life, saying – ‘not you.’
Summary of Sonnet 145
- Popularity of “Sonnet 145”: This highly succinct sonnet formed the sequel of the Dark Lady sonnets and appeared first in 1909. The poet presents a speaker having high praises for his beloved when he says that she steals his words and then speaks out loud and adds more words to make him realize that she does not hate him. The beauty of the poem lies in this wordplay and the use of tetrameter instead of pentameter.
- “Sonnet 145” As a Representative of Love: The sonnet presents the reality of love through the words of the lover. He is of the view that the lips of his beloved created by Venus picks his words of “I hate” and pities his woeful state. Shakespeare states that although earlier she used to pronounce doom or death, now she turns quite topsy turvy and steals his words to speak out. However, she gently adds more words, and when he hears, he becomes highly thankful to her for saving his life as she loves him and does not hate him.
- Major Themes in “Sonnet 145”: Love, lock sickness, and true love are three major thematic strands of the sonnet. Although the speaker does not seem to be dying immediately, his lovesickness speaks volumes when he states that his beloved has immediately picked up his words and pitied his situation. This situation where pity has welled up in the heart of the beloved is called lovesickness. But the treatment that she has extended to him is even more beautiful as she has picked his words to add “not hate” from her side. In this way, she shows her true love, a theme that appears in the end.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 145
William Shakespeare used various literary devices to enhance the intended impacts of this specific sonnet. Some of the major literary devices used in this sonnet are as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “But when she saw my woeful state” and the sound of /o/ in “Doth follow night, who like a fiend.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /g/ in “giving gentle.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “Straight in her heart did mercy come” and the sound of /s/ in “But when she saw my woeful state.”
- 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;
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away;
- 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 irony is apparent in the third last verse, where she seems to have thrown away hate from the phrase “I hate.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. William Shakespeare used imagery in this poem such as “But when she saw my woeful state”, “Was used in giving gentle doom” and “From heaven to hell is flown away.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The sonnet shows the use of metaphor as the mercy that seems to be a human being.
- Simile: It means a direct comparison of things to understand one thing after it is compared to another. The sonnet shows the use of a simile, such as night has been likened to a friend.
- 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 state, hate, and doom, demonstrating love and mercy.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 145
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 and Tone: Diction here means the type of language, and tone means the voice of the text. The sonnet shows formal and archaic diction and a happy and exciting tone.
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain as the first one or the second one.
- Rhyme Scheme: The sonnet follows ABABCDCD in its octave and EFEFGG in its sestet.
- Sonnet: It is a fourteen-lined stanza. This poem is a sonnet.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about the mercy and kindness of a beloved.
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away;
‘I hate’ from hate away she threw,
And saved my life, saying — ‘not you.’