Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring
From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue,
Could make me any summer’s story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:
Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight
Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those.
Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.
Summary of Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring
- Popularity of “Sonnet 98”: Written by William Shakespeare, an English icon, “Sonnet 98” is a sad poem. It presents a speaker who is aggrieved about the absence of his friend. It also presents the situation in which he explains his mind to dramatize the separation that haunts him. The popularity of this sonnet, however, lies in the fact that it presents the agony of the speaker over separation.
- “Sonnet 98” As a Representative of Sorrow: This sonnet recounts the separation of the speaker from his loving friend. It begins when the speaker paints his friend’s absence with the touch of woes. April is the time when nature provides solace to the world. Unfortunately, this time, Spring does not bring happiness to him. His friend is not with him. Therefore, he marks this time untimely because the beautiful nature does not appeal to his senses. Even the chirping of melodious birds fails to incite his usual inspiration. Regardless of having all the bounties of the spring, he fails to sing the tale of this lovely season. His mental faculty seems to deny him the capability to appreciate the fertile material mother nature offers him in the spring. In the third quatrain, he tries praising the white lilies and roses, but he feels that their beauty has faded away. He claims that these unique and divine patterns are inherent in love and happiness. Thus, his friend’s absence has turned spring into winter for the speaker. In the final lines, he invites his friend and vows to play with the shadows of the things.
- Major Themes in “Sonnet 98”: Separation, man and the natural world, and sorrow are three major themes of the poem. This beautiful sonnet presents the agony of a lover whose friend is away during spring. Usually, spring is the time when there is happiness in the world. But to the speaker, this spring does not bring any sign of joy. It, instead, scratches his sorrow and hammers him that he has to witness the glorious season sans his friend. The speaker fully understands how to welcome the spring, but his friend’s absence has made him forget to bow and adore the beauty of mother nature. It seems that when he is not with his friend, even seasons like spring fail to alter his mood. In other words, when people fall in love, they make their lover the center of their lives and feel the pangs of agony in their absence.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring
literary devices are used by the poets to add a layer of meaning to these simple poetic pieces. Their usage allows them to express their ideas using various approaches. Shakespeare has also made this poem exemplary by inserting various literary devices. The analysis of the literary 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 /o/ and /e/ in “Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew” and the sound of /i/ in “Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /r/ in “Of different flowers in odour and in hue” and the sound of /t/ in “They were but sweet, but figures of delight.”
- 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;
“They were but sweet, but figures of delight
Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those,”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Shakespeare has used imagery in this poem, such as “From you have I been absent in the spring” and “Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.”
- 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 writer has used this device throughout the poem to show how the delightful spring fails to provide him comfort in the absence of his love.
- 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 extended metaphors of love and sadness to show the importance of the union. It shows that the world looks perfect when two lovers get united, and it gets dark with their separation.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring
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 poem’s central idea.
- End Rhyme: End Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Shakespeare has used end rhyme in this poem such as; “away/play “rose/those” and “smell/tell.”
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line the poem follows iambic pentameter such as; “Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.”
- 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 for lovers when explaining what they feel when they go far from their lovers.
“From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.”