Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage
As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put beside his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;
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’ ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might.
O! let my looks 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 express’d.
O! learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.
Summary of Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage
- Popularity of “Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage”: Written by William Shakespeare, a renowned writer, and poet, “Sonnet 23” is a love sonnet. It explains the difficulty one feels when he fails to express his love. It also shows the power and magic of words and how they can easily capture a person’s true feelings. The sonnet has earned everlasting fame due to the portrayal of the importance of love in human life.
- “Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage” As a Representative of Human Emotions: This sonnet compares an actor, his acting, and the emotions of the speaker that have almost the same power. The speaker compares himself to a fearful actor on stage having difficulty with his lines because of stage fright. Also, he resembles a fierce animal weakened by his rage. By giving these two examples, the speaker highlights the feelings and emotions of a person unable to speak the necessary words. That intensity of love faces a setback in this situation. Thus, his inability to speak eloquently leads him to quote the power of written words. He remarks that words have a magical power to speak what is in the writer’s heart. He emphasizes the fact that words may express his love significantly. Toward the end, he addresses the future readers and admonishes them to educate their senses to comprehend the underlying meanings of written material. He further says that love leads us toward the path of better understanding.
- Major Themes in “Sonnet 23: As an Imperfect Actor On The Stage”: The poem’s major themes are the magical power of love, fear, and human nature. It deals with timidity and emotions that prevent someone from expressing their feelings in the true sense. The speaker beautifully compares himself to a fearful actor and fierce animal to show how strong emotions, sometimes limit logical response. It also shows that fear restricts our freedom of expression. However, when our tongue fails to speak the rightful words, we try to utilize the God-given gift of writing. The writer suggests that every individual should have profound thinking, which is the key to bringing them close to their inner world. The speaker also knows that his feelings will die with him. Therefore, he considers writing the best mode of preserving ideas and emotions for upcoming generations.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage
literary devices are the tools that enable writers to embellish their simple writings. Their usage allows them to bring depth and richness to the simple poetic pieces. Shakespeare has also used some literary devices in the poem whose analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /e/ in “Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart” and the sound of /o/ in “Who plead for love, and look for recompense.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession such as the sound of /s/ in “strength seem to decay,” and the sound of /th/ in “then the eloquence.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /t/ in “More than that tongue that more hath more express’d” and the sound of /r/ in “The perfect ceremony of love’s rite.”
- 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;
“So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Shakespeare used imagery in this poem, such as “The perfect ceremony of love’s rite”, “To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit” and “And dumb presagers of my speaking breast.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet has used writing as an extended metaphor to show how it brilliantly expresses one’s feelings and desires.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbolism such as; love, expression, emotions, and fear.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage
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.
- Couplet: There are two constructive lines of verse in a couplet, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme. This sonnet ends with a couplet, which usually reveals the central idea of the poem.
- End Rhyme: End Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Shakespeare used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “writ/wit”, “might/rite” and “say/decay.”
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line; the poem follows iambic pentameter, such as; “Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABABCDCD in its octave and EFEFGG in its sestet.
- Sonnet: A sonnet is a fourteen-lined poem usually written in iambic pentameter. This Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful in a speech to talk about the negative side of human nature and how sometimes their emotions overpower their logic and senses.
“As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put beside his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart.”