“Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

“Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare, first published in 1609 in the collection known as “Shakespeare’s Sonnets, like others in the collection, is written in iambic pentameter and follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form with three quatrains and a concluding couplet. “Sonnet 132” is addressed to the “Dark Lady,” a mysterious and alluring figure who appears in several of Shakespeare’s sonnets. The poem explores the speaker’s infatuation with the Dark Lady’s eyes, particularly when they appear to be mourning. It stands out for its vivid imagery, emotional intensity, and the speaker’s willingness to embrace the darkness associated with the Dark Lady’s beauty. The sonnet’s enigmatic subject and passionate tone have contributed to its enduring popularity and fascination among readers and scholars alike.

Text: “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Annotations: “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Line	Text	Annotations
1	Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,	The speaker expresses love for the beloved’s eyes, which show pity towards him.
2	Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,	The eyes understand that the beloved’s heart causes anguish by treating the speaker with disdain.
3	Have put on black and loving mourners be,	Metaphorically, the eyes wear black, symbolizing mourning, and appear as compassionate mourners.
4	Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.	The eyes gaze upon the speaker’s suffering with a lovely and sympathetic demeanor.
5	And truly not the morning sun of heaven	The speaker compares the beauty of the beloved’s eyes to the morning sun, suggesting their superiority.
6	Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east,	The eyes’ radiance complements the subdued dawn better than the sunrise enhances the pale sky.
7	Nor that full star that ushers in the even,	The eyes’ beauty surpasses the evening star’s brilliance that heralds the coming night.
8	Doth half that glory to the sober west,	The eyes contribute more splendor to the fading evening light than the evening star does to the sky.
9	As those two mourning eyes become thy face:	The mourning appearance of the eyes enhances the beauty of the beloved’s face.
10	O! let it then as well beseem thy heart	The speaker urges the beloved to let their heart reflect the same compassion as their eyes.
11	To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,	Mourning for the speaker would suit the beloved, adding to their grace and beauty.
12	And suit thy pity like in every part.	The speaker desires the beloved to express consistent pity, aligning with the compassion of their eyes.
13	Then will I swear beauty herself is black,	The speaker hyperbolically suggests he would consider beauty dark if it doesn’t match the beloved’s compassion.
14	And all they foul that thy complexion lack.	Conversely, anything lacking the beloved’s compassion would appear inferior or ugly.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Device	Example	Explanation
1. Metaphor	“Thine eyes…have put on black”	Comparing eyes to mourners, creating a vivid image.
2. Personification	“Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain”	Attributing human-like qualities to the heart.
3. Alliteration	“pretty ruth”	Repeating the “r” sound for a musical effect.
4. Simile	“Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east”	Comparing the sun to a beautifying force using “like” or “as”.
5. Enjambment	“Nor that full star…Doth half that glory”	Continuing a sentence or phrase into the next line without punctuation.
6. Hyperbole	“Doth half that glory”	Exaggerating the glory of the star for emphasis.
7. Imagery	“mourning eyes become thy face”	Creating a vivid sensory experience.
8. Apostrophe	“O! let it then as well beseem thy heart”	Addressing a person or thing not present.
9. Allusion	“beauty herself is black”	Referencing a cultural or literary concept (classical beauty standards).
10. Irony	“beauty herself is black”	Contrasting expected beauty standards with the speaker’s preference.
11. Symbolism	“black”	Using color to represent mourning, death, or sorrow.
12. Encomium	“Thine eyes I love”	Expressing praise or admiration.
13. Anaphora	“And…And”	Repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
14. Caesura	“Knowing thy heart…with disdain”	Using pauses within a line for dramatic effect.
15. Assonance	“me with disdain”	Repeating vowel sounds for a musical effect.
16. Consonance	“thy heart torments”	Repeating consonant sounds for a musical effect.
17. Oxymoron	“loving mourners”	Combining contradictory words for a paradoxical effect.
18. Personification	“thy heart…mourn for me”	Attributing human-like qualities to the heart.
19. Repetition	“mourn”	Repeating a word for emphasis or unity.
20. Antithesis	“beauty…black”	Using contrasting ideas or words for a rhetorical effect.

Themes: “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Literary Theories and “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Literary Theory	Description	References from “Sonnet 132”
1. Psychoanalytic	Analyzes characters, themes, and symbols based on Freudian psychology.	Line 2: “Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,”
		Line 12: “And suit thy pity like in every part.”
2. Feminist	Examines gender dynamics, power structures, and patriarchal influences.	Line 10: “O! let it then as well beseem thy heart”
		Line 14: “And all they foul that thy complexion lack.”
3. New Criticism	Focuses on close reading and analysis of the text independent of context.	Line 1: “Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,”
		Line 13: “Then will I swear beauty herself is black,”
4. Reader-Response	Emphasizes the reader’s interpretation and subjective experience.	Line 9: “As those two mourning eyes become thy face:”
		Line 11: “To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,”

Critical Questions about “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

• Question 1
  How does the speaker’s use of personification in “Thine eyes… have put on black and loving mourners be” (lines 2-3) convey the idea that the beloved’s eyes are actively sympathizing with the speaker’s pain?
• The speaker’s personification of the beloved’s eyes as “loving mourners” creates a vivid image of the eyes as actively empathizing with the speaker’s suffering, implying that the beloved is not just aware of the speaker’s pain but is also emotionally invested in it. This reveals the speaker’s desire for a deep emotional connection with the beloved and suggests that the speaker values the beloved’s compassion and understanding.
• Question 2
  In what ways does the comparison of the beloved’s eyes to the “morning sun of heaven” and the “full star that ushers in the even” (lines 5-6) serve to emphasize their beauty and significance?
• The comparison of the beloved’s eyes to celestial bodies emphasizes their beauty and significance by associating them with natural wonders that are awe-inspiring and majestic. The “morning sun of heaven” and the “full star that ushers in the even” are both symbols of hope, guidance, and illumination, implying that the beloved’s eyes possess a similar power to inspire and guide the speaker. This comparison also highlights the speaker’s reverence and admiration for the beloved’s eyes, reinforcing the idea that they are a source of beauty and comfort.
• Question 3
  How does the speaker’s request that the beloved “mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace” (line 10) reveal a desire for mutual understanding and shared emotional experience?
• The speaker’s request that the beloved “mourn for me” reveals a deep desire for empathy and mutual understanding, as the speaker longs for the beloved to share in their emotional experience. The phrase “since mourning doth thee grace” suggests that the speaker believes the beloved’s mourning would not only be a sign of their emotional investment but also a becoming and beautiful quality, implying that the speaker values emotional vulnerability and authenticity in their relationship.
• Question 4
  In what ways does the final couplet, “Then will I swear beauty herself is black, / And all they foul that thy complexion lack” (lines 13-14), subvert traditional notions of beauty and challenge societal beauty standards?
• The final couplet subverts traditional notions of beauty by asserting that beauty is not defined by traditional standards of physical appearance but rather by the beloved’s unique complexion, which is “black”. This challenges societal beauty standards that often privilege whiteness and fair skin, implying that beauty is not fixed or absolute but rather subjective and personal. By declaring that all those who lack the beloved’s complexion are “foul”, the speaker turns traditional beauty standards on their head, celebrating the beloved’s individuality and uniqueness.

Topics, Questions and Thesis Statement about “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Topic	Questions	Thesis Statement
1. Themes	– How does the sonnet explore the theme of unrequited love?	“Sonnet 132” delves into the theme of unrequited love through the speaker’s longing for compassion and recognition from the beloved.
	– In what ways does the sonnet depict the complexities of desire and longing?
2. Imagery	– How does Shakespeare use imagery to portray the beauty of the beloved’s eyes?	The vivid imagery in “Sonnet 132,” particularly the portrayal of the beloved’s eyes as compassionate mourners, enhances the emotional depth of the poem and underscores the speaker’s admiration.
	– What role does visual imagery play in conveying the speaker’s emotions?
3. Tone and Mood	– What is the overall tone of “Sonnet 132,” and how does it contribute to the poem’s meaning?	The tone of yearning and lamentation in “Sonnet 132” sets a melancholic mood, highlighting the speaker’s emotional turmoil and the depth of his longing for reciprocation.
	– How does the mood shift throughout the sonnet, and why?
4. Structural Analysis	– How does the structure of the sonnet contribute to its thematic exploration?	The sonnet’s structure, with its use of quatrains and couplet, reflects the speaker’s progression from admiration to plea, culminating in a poignant declaration of the beloved’s beauty and the speaker’s yearning for acknowledgment.
	– What effect does the volta (the turn) have on the reader’s interpretation?

Literary Works Similar to “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

1. “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare
   In this famous sonnet, Shakespeare explores themes of love, beauty, and the passage of time, much like in “Sonnet 132.”
2. “When You Are Old” by W.B. Yeats
   Yeats’ poem also addresses the theme of unrequited love and the passage of time, as the speaker reflects on a lost love’s aging and regrets.
3. “The Definition of Love” by Andrew Marvell
   Marvell’s poem delves into the complexities of love and desire, echoing the emotional depth found in Shakespeare’s sonnet.
4. “Remember” by Christina Rossetti
   Rossetti’s poem similarly explores themes of love, loss, and remembrance, resonating with the melancholic tone of “Sonnet 132.”
5. “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell
   Like Shakespeare’s sonnet, Marvell’s poem addresses the theme of desire and longing, albeit in a more persuasive and urgent tone, as the speaker urges his beloved to seize the moment.

Suggested Readings: “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

1. Booth, Stephen. Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Yale University Press, 1977.
2. Duncan-Jones, Katherine. “Was the 1609 Shakespeares Sonnets Really Unauthorized?” Review of English Studies, vol. 34, no. 133, 1983, pp. 151-171. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/515829.
3. Fineman, Joel. Shakespeare’s Perjured Eye: The Invention of Poetic Subjectivity in the Sonnets. University of California Press, 1986.
4. Kerrigan, John, editor. The Sonnets and A Lover’s Complaint. Penguin Books, 1986.
5. Shakespeare, William. Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Edited by Stephen Booth, Yale University Press, 1977.
6. Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Harvard University Press, 1997.
7. —. “Sonnet 129.” The Academy of American Poets, poets.org/poem/sonnet-129.

Representative Quotations from “Sonnet 132” by William Shakespeare

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me, / Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain”	The speaker expresses their love for the beloved’s eyes, which seem to pity them despite the beloved’s heart being indifferent.	Psychoanalytic Theory: The speaker’s fixation on the beloved’s eyes may symbolize a desire for emotional connection and understanding, highlighting the speaker’s inner turmoil and desire for validation.
“Have put on black and loving mourners be, / Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain”	The beloved’s eyes are personified as mourners, sympathizing with the speaker’s pain.	Feminist Theory: The personification of the beloved’s eyes as mourners subverts traditional gender roles, as the beloved is depicted as emotionally expressive and nurturing, challenging patriarchal norms.
“And truly not the morning sun of heaven / Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east”	The beloved’s eyes are compared to celestial bodies, emphasizing their beauty and significance.	Marxist Theory: The comparison of the beloved’s eyes to natural wonders may symbolize the speaker’s desire to transcend the material world and find solace in the beauty of the beloved, highlighting the speaker’s longing for escape and transcendence.
“O! let it then as well beseem thy heart / To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace”	The speaker requests that the beloved share in their emotional experience.	Poststructuralist Theory: The speaker’s request for mutual mourning highlights the instability of language and meaning, as the speaker seeks to impose their emotional experience onto the beloved, blurring the boundaries between self and other.
“Then will I swear beauty herself is black, / And all they foul that thy complexion lack”	The speaker declares that beauty is defined by the beloved’s unique complexion.	Postcolonial Theory