Detailed Analysis of Sonnet 147 by William Shakespeare - Essay Example

Detailed Analysis of Sonnet 147 by William Shakespear

Sonnets always attracted people across the world and his classic sonnets have been the subjects of close examination in many classrooms across the world for quite some time now. From a detailed analysis of sonnet 147 by William Shakespear, it is revealed that the poem is the words of the sonneteer, a man in agony who knows it is impossible to free his soul from the force of love towards the beloved.

Obviously, the poet realizes that his love is injurious but, along with that, he admits his inability to resist the force of love. Despite the initial effort of the speaker to justify the love initially, the sonneteer acknowledges later that the love is harmful despite the poem leaving it to the reader to guess whether the speaker will abandon the beloved or not.

One striking point of Sonnet 147 is a metaphor to describe the love. From the very beginning line, the speaker has the tendency to call the beloved an "illness", presenting a meaningful metaphor. The underlying message is that the speaker, from the very beginning, knows that the love is hurting him. Yet, one can also see the underlying indication that,despite knowing its harmfulness, he is already afflicted by it and is defenceless.

If his love is personified as illness, reason is personified in the poem as his physician, logical thinking, capable to get him rid of the illness safely. Though reason warns him of the consequences of falling in love, he is seriously addicted to thebeloved and desperately realizes that an escape is nowhere in sight. Obviously, it is this ability to picturize true human emotions that makes Shakespeare the greatest poet ever.

The first quatrain discloses that the speaker knows that the reason for the fever is his own emotional weakness. One line states, "…longing still/…nurseth the disease" (1-2). These words indicate the awareness of the speaker about his incapability to control his desires that result in his incurable illness. Second, the speaker does not feel happy in the company of his beloved but is suffering from it. However, it is interesting to note that instead of giving heed to the reason and leaving his beloved, the speaker still continues to feed his beloved with his life and health.

Another point that makes the metaphor of illness appropriate is that fever, in its heights, can make people act in irrational ways, and that is what happens to the speaker. One line reveals that the sonneteer is inflicted by the "sickly appetite to please" (4).

When one is ill, one often acts erratically, and when the illness and suffering are severe, one often fails to think logically and one's sole intention is often to reduce the symptoms of the disease for relief. For the speaker, his beloved is exploiting his emotional weaknesses. This most probably indicates the force of his unsatisfied desires, despite the lack of clarity whether it indicates emotional or carnal desires.

As the sonnet reaches the next quatrain, reason is compared to the sonneteer's doctor. Here, despite being sick, the speaker knows that his welfare lies in following what reason says. In addition, the claim that love is a negative force still continues here and the speaker considers reason as the only way to force out this fever of love. The doctor is given the difficult task of getting the speaker out of the disease of love. Here, the speaker conveys the message that love and reason are incompatible and cannot coexist. Though the physician gives suggestions on how to get rid of the illness, the unwillingness of the speaker infuriates the physician who leaves the patient.

Here the speaker indicates that passion and romance are stronger than reason and that even the fear of death does not stop one from falling in love. Reason always warns one that "desire is death" (8) But the caution fails to influence a lover because those who are afflicted by the fever of love are willing to die for the beloved.

It can be interpreted in two ways: either it indicates that people are willing to die for the emotional or physical pleasure brought by love, or it brings death, though the emotional or physical pleasure brought by it are irresistible like a disease. From a very peripheral point of view, one can even argue that the words mean that excess of love results in diseases; both physical and mental.

Though the speaker resists the suggestions of the doctor in the second quatrain, by the third quatrain, there is total admission from the speaker that escape is nowhere in sight. By this time, the speaker looks totally shattered and turbulent and the words reveal that he knowsthat he is "past cure", according to a line (9). By this time, it is evident that the illness is increasing in intensity that affects the emotional stability of the speaker.

He admits that there is no cure for his illness and claims that he is willing to die for his beloved. Still, the reason left in the speaker reminds him that he is getting more "feverish" because his thoughts now are "as madmen's are" (10-11). Now, there is the realization from the part of the speaker that his fate is to perish in the force of love and that his words are 'vainly expressed.' (12).

In couplet, there is a different view expressed by the speaker. He has not expected the beloved to be "black as hell and dark as night", a line reveals (14). Yes, here, the speaker admits that he has fallen for passion expecting the beloved to be beautiful and satisfying but later comes the realization that instead of being attractive and beautiful, it is dark and dull. Obviously, there is a great psychological principle expressed by Shakespeare in an attractive way.

People who have desires fall in love, not listening to the reason. However, once afflicted, love continues feeding on their desires and the 'pleasing' of this 'appetite' becomes an addiction and they fail to get rid of it though they realize the ill effects. Once afflicted, the disease of passion affects their emotional and physical health and the medicine of reason does not work because the hold of romance is so strong. In the third quatrain, the speaker claims that the beloved is "black as hell and dark as night." (14). It is possible to interpret this claim in a number of ways.

One possible explanation is that his beloved is not as physically attractive as he would have loved. Another possible explanation is that considering the claim of 'dark' as a replacement for 'evil', the speaker wants to convey the idea that his beloved is not faithful, or has evil intentions. A third possible explanation is that he does not address his beloved, but wishes to claim that love, in general, is not attractive in reality. From a distance, it seems to people that love and romance are attractive and crave for that as a way to satisfy their desires.

However, once smitten, they realize that it has become an irresistible addiction from which they have no escape. In fact, this third point seems the most plausible explanation in this context. The most interesting aspect of the sonnet is that it ends without a clear indication as to what the speaker will do with his beloved. It remains unclear whether he will continue with or leave his beloved. Considering the fact that he admits his love has no cure, it is only logical to assume that the speaker will continue loving his beloved despite realizing the flaws of his beloved.

Thus, the poem presents a very interesting idea using the help of an attractive metaphor. While love is personified as fever, the reason appears as the physician or cure. The sonnet presents love as a vicious cycle from which one has no escape if fallen. The emotional or physical cravings of people make them fall in love, or it is the emotional longings of people which make them vulnerable to the disease of passion.

From a distance, people find passion an attractive solution to their unmet emotional and physical desires. However, once affected, they realize that love is not as attractive as it seemed from a distance. Instead, it is evil, addictive, making people incapable of making logical decisions. There is the realization that being in love is harmful but it is not possible for somebody to get rid of this addiction.

To conclude, the little song reveals the gradual deterioration of the mind and body of the speaker due to the fever of love. His passionate arguments in favor of his beloved fail as his reason warns him of the dire consequences of continuing to be in love. However, despite acknowledging the arguments of reason to be right, the speaker realizes that the hold of love is irresistible that he has no escape from the disease.

Simultaneously, the speaker laments that he is cheated; the love is not fair and bright as he expected but is dark and evil. Thus, the poet claims that instead of serving the purpose of making his life beautiful by being pure and good, his beloved is black and evil, making him ill and draining him of his energy and life. Though death is certain, the force of passion has a strangle hold over the mind that one is unable to get rid of.