Welcome, dear readers, to a journey into the heart of one of William Shakespeare’s profound sonnets. Today, we unravel the layers of “Sonnet 90,” a poem that explores the depths of human emotion and the strategic approach to enduring sorrow. Let us begin by immersing ourselves in the poem itself.
Sonnet 90
By William Shakespeare
Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now;
Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,
And do not drop in for an after-loss:
Ah, do not, when my heart hath ‘scap’d this sorrow,
Come in the rearward of a conquer’d woe;
Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,
To linger out a purpos’d overthrow.
If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,
When other lesser ills have done their spite;
But in the onset come, so shall I taste
At first the very worst of fortune’s might;
And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,
Compar’d with loss of thee, will not seem so.
Sonnet 90 Summary and Central Idea
Sonnet 90 is a powerful meditation on how to face inevitable sorrow. The speaker addresses a beloved person, urging them to inflict any pain or abandonment immediately, rather than delaying it. This might seem like a strange request, but it reveals a clever strategy for coping with grief.
- Context and Theme: This sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s sequence addressed to the Fair Youth. It explores themes of love, loss, and the nature of suffering. The speaker anticipates a painful separation and wishes to confront the ultimate sorrow head-on.
- Speaker’s Request: The speaker implores the beloved to abandon him now, at a time when he is already facing other difficulties. The plea is not for mercy, but for a concentrated, immediate blow.
- Central Idea: The core idea of Sonnet 90 is that facing the greatest sorrow first can diminish the impact of all other troubles. By experiencing the ultimate pain of losing the beloved immediately, all other “lesser ills” will seem insignificant in comparison. It is a testament to the overwhelming power of love and loss, and a strategic approach to enduring hardship.
In-Depth Sonnet 90 Analysis and Interpretation
Sonnet 90 adheres to the classic Shakespearean sonnet form: fourteen lines of iambic pentameter, structured into three quatrains and a concluding couplet. It follows the traditional rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, which helps to organize the speaker’s complex emotional argument.
1. Tone and Mood in Sonnet 90
The poem’s tone is urgent and resolute, yet tinged with a profound sense of impending loss. It is not a tone of despair, but rather one of strategic preparation for suffering. The mood is somber and reflective, but also determined, as the speaker attempts to control the timing and impact of his pain.
Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now;
Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
These opening lines immediately establish the speaker’s directness and his desire for immediate action. The repetition of “now” underscores the urgency of his plea.
2. Key Imagery and Symbolism in Sonnet 90
Shakespeare employs vivid imagery to convey the speaker’s emotional landscape and the nature of the impending sorrow.
- “World is bent my deeds to cross”: This image portrays the world as an active adversary, already working against the speaker. It suggests a period of existing hardship, making the beloved’s departure just another, albeit the greatest, challenge.
- “Spite of fortune”: Fortune is personified as a malicious force, adding to the speaker’s current woes. The beloved is asked to “Join with” this spite, making the sorrow complete and immediate.
- “Windy night a rainy morrow”: This metaphor describes a prolonged, drawn-out period of suffering. A “windy night” is already unpleasant, but a “rainy morrow” following it suggests an extended, dreary period. The speaker wishes to avoid this lingering pain.
- “Worst of fortune’s might”: This phrase encapsulates the ultimate, most devastating blow the speaker can imagine, which is the loss of the beloved. It symbolizes the peak of suffering.
3. Literary Devices in Sonnet 90
Shakespeare masterfully uses various literary devices to enhance the poem’s impact and convey its intricate meaning.
- Apostrophe: The entire poem is a direct address to the beloved, who is not physically present but is the subject of the speaker’s urgent plea. This creates a sense of intimacy and directness.
- Repetition: The word “Now” is repeated in the first two lines, emphasizing the speaker’s desire for immediate action. The word “woe” is also repeated, highlighting the central theme of sorrow.
- Personification:
- “The world is bent my deeds to cross” gives the world human-like intention to obstruct the speaker.
- “Spite of fortune” personifies fortune as having malicious intent.
- “Lesser ills have done their spite” attributes human-like malice to minor troubles.
- Metaphor:
- “Come in the rearward of a conquer’d woe” compares the beloved’s delayed departure to an attack from behind after a battle has already been fought and won, suggesting an unfair and prolonged suffering.
- “Give not a windy night a rainy morrow” metaphorically represents a prolonged and worsening period of sadness.
- Hyperbole: The speaker’s assertion that all other sorrows will “not seem so” compared to the loss of the beloved is a form of hyperbole, emphasizing the supreme importance of the beloved and the depth of the anticipated pain.
Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now;
Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
4. Rhyme Scheme and Meter in Sonnet 90
Sonnet 90’s ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme creates a structured progression of thought. The consistent iambic pentameter, with its ten syllables per line and alternating unstressed and stressed beats, provides a steady, natural rhythm that mimics the cadence of speech. This regular meter allows the speaker’s urgent plea to unfold with a sense of controlled intensity, even as the emotional stakes are incredibly high.
5. The Final Couplet of Sonnet 90
The concluding couplet delivers the poem’s central argument and its most profound insight.
And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,
Compar’d with loss of thee, will not seem so.
This couplet ties the entire poem together, revealing the speaker’s strategic reasoning. It explains that by enduring the ultimate pain of the beloved’s departure first, all other existing or future sorrows will be dwarfed and rendered insignificant. The “loss of thee” is presented as the absolute measure of suffering, against which all other “strains of woe” fade into triviality. This powerful conclusion underscores the beloved’s immense importance to the speaker and offers a unique perspective on coping with adversity.
How Each Part Contributes to the Central Message
- The first quatrain establishes the speaker’s urgent request for immediate abandonment, setting the stage for his unusual reasoning. It highlights the existing difficulties the speaker faces.
- The second quatrain elaborates on the undesirability of delayed sorrow, using vivid metaphors to explain why a prolonged, drawn-out period of grief is to be avoided.
- The third quatrain reinforces the plea for immediate action, contrasting it with the pain of facing lesser ills only to be struck by the greatest loss later. It builds towards the ultimate justification.
- The final couplet provides the profound resolution, explaining that experiencing the worst sorrow first will diminish all other pains, thereby solidifying the poem’s central idea about the strategic management of grief.
Through its masterful structure, evocative imagery, and compelling argument, Sonnet 90 offers a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the human capacity to strategize even in the face of overwhelming emotion. It reminds us that sometimes, confronting our greatest fears head-on can be a way to find strength and perspective amidst life’s inevitable sorrows.