Department of English
Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Sonnet 43
(1609)
William Shakespeare
(1564–1616)
Sonnet 43 Notes
1 When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see: cf. the proverb "Although I wink, I am not blind"
1 wink: close one's eyes
2 unrespected: play on the etymology of respect meaning "to look"; unrespected etymologically then would mean "not looked at"
4 darkly: in darkness, darkling, in the dark
4 bright:
4 directed: note possible play with several etymological senses including straight, guided, and written
5 Then:
5 shadow: image, likeness
5 shadows: darkness
9 blessèd:
11 dead night:
12 stay:
Weary
with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head, To work my mind, when body's work's expired: For then my thoughts, from far where I abide, Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee, And keep my drooping eyelids open wide, Looking on darkness which the blind do see Save that my soul's imaginary sight Presents thy shadow to my sightless view, Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night, Makes black night beauteous and her old face new. Lo! thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind, For thee and for myself no quiet find. |
5 10 |
Is
it thy will thy image should keep open My heavy eyelids to the weary night? Dost thou desire my slumbers should be broken, While shadows like to thee do mock my sight? Is it thy spirit that thou send'st from thee So far from home into my deeds to pry, To find out shames and idle hours in me, The scope and tenor of thy jealousy? O, no! thy love, though much, is not so great: It is my love that keeps mine eye awake; Mine own true love that doth my rest defeat, To play the watchman ever for thy sake: For thee watch I whilst thou dost wake elsewhere, From me far off, with others all too near. |
5 10 |
Paraphrase of the sonnet (line by line)
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, | a | 1 | When my eyes are closed most is when they see best |
For all the day they view things unrespected; | b | 2 | because all day they look upon things un(worthy of being) looked at; |
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee, | a | 3 | but when I sleep, my eyes look at you in dreams |
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed. | b | 4 | and because you are bright in the darkness, my eyes are led to that light in the dark. |
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright, | c | 5 | Since this is the case, you, whose image the dark does make bright, |
How would thy shadow's form form happy show | d | 6 | How well would your image be revealed |
To the clear day with thy much clearer light, | c | 7 | in the clear day with your much clearer light |
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so! | d | 8 | when to unseeing eyes your image already shines so clearly! |
How would (I say) mine eyes be blessèd made, | e | 9 | How blessed would my eyes be |
By looking on thee in the living day, | f | 10 | in looking at you during the actual living day |
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade | e | 11 | when in the deepest part of night your beautiful imperfect likeness |
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay! | f | 12 | stays so imprinted on my sightless eyes in deep sleep! |
All days are nights to see till I see thee, | g | 13 | All the days are like nights to look at until I see you, |
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me. | g | 14 | and nights are like bright days because my dreams show you to me. |
Paraphrase of the sonnet (variations for discussion)
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, |
a |
1 |
When I close my eyes the most is when my eyes see the best, When I most shut my eyes is when they best see, |
For all the day they view things unrespected; |
b |
2 |
because all day my eyes see things that are not worth seeing; because all through the day my eyes regard things which are unregarded. |
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee, |
a |
3 |
But when I sleep my eyes see you in dreams, |
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed. |
b |
4 |
and because you are bright in the darkness, my eyes are led to that light in the dark. and because of your brightness in that dark, my eyes are guided through the dark by your brilliance. |
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright, |
c |
5 |
Now then, you, whose image the dark does make bright, |
How would thy shadow's form form happy show |
d |
6 |
How well would your image be revealed |
To the clear day with thy much clearer light, |
c |
7 |
in the clear day with your much clearer light |
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so! |
d |
8 |
when to unseeing eyes your image already shines so clearly! |
How would (I say) mine eyes be blessèd made, |
e |
9 |
How blessed would my eyes be How very happy my eyes would be |
By looking on thee in the living day, |
f |
10 |
in looking at you during the actual living day when they look at you during the day |
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade |
e |
11 |
when in the deepest part of night your beautiful and imperfect likeness |
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay! |
f |
12 |
is already so fixed in my sightless eyes in deep sleep! |
All days are nights to see till I see thee, |
g |
13 |
All the days are like nights to look at until I see you, Days are like nights to my eyes unless they can see you, |
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me. |
g |
14 |
and nights are like bright days because my dreams show you to me. |
Study Questions
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Links |
Early Modern English
Composition
in Shakespeare's Time
Concordances
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William Shakespeare |
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Reference
Booth, Stephen. Shakespeare's Sonnets. New Haven: Yale UP, 1977. Print.
Rowse, A. L. Shakespeare's Sonnets: The Problems Solved. New York: Harper and Row, 1973. Print.
Further Reading
Other critical writings on Shakespeare
Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets. Cambridge: Belknap, 1999. Print.
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October 13, 2015