“Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

“Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare first appeared in 1609 in the collection of sonnets. The sonnet is characterized by its melancholic tone and the speaker’s longing for his beloved. The main idea of the sonnet is the speaker’s regret and sadness over being absent from his lover during the beautiful spring season.

Text: “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

Annotations: “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

Line	Text	Annotation
1	From you have I been absent in the spring,	The speaker expresses absence from the beloved during springtime.
2	When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,	April, a symbol of spring, is described as colorful and adorned.
3	Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,	Springtime brings vitality and rejuvenation to everything.
4	That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.	Even the serious Saturn (associated with time and limitations) rejoices.
5	Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell	Despite the beauty of nature, the speaker remains unmoved.
6	Of different flowers in odour and in hue,	The speaker describes the variety of flowers in scent and color.
7	Could make me any summer’s story tell,	The speaker is unable to find joy or meaning in the summer.
8	Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:	The speaker is uninterested in even picking the flowers.
9	Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,	The speaker does not admire the beauty of the lily.
10	Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;	The speaker does not appreciate the beauty of the rose.
11	They were but sweet, but figures of delight	The flowers are merely pleasant but lack true meaning.
12	Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those.	The flowers are mere imitations of the beloved.
13	Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,	Without the beloved, the speaker feels it is still winter.
14	As with your shadow I with these did play.	The speaker compares playing with the flowers to playing with the beloved’s shadow.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

Device	Definition	Example	Explanation
Alliteration	Repetition of initial consonant sounds	“When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim”	The repetition of the “p” sound creates a rhythmic effect, emphasizing the imagery of spring.
Allusion	Reference to another work, person, or event	“That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him”	Saturn is a reference to the Roman god, symbolizing melancholy, contrasting with the joy of spring.
Anaphora	Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of clauses	“Nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell”	Repeating “Nor” highlights the speaker’s disconnection from nature.
Assonance	Repetition of vowel sounds	“When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim”	The “i” sound in “pied” and “trim” adds a harmonious effect that reflects the season’s beauty.
Consonance	Repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the end of words	“Drawn after you, – you pattern of all those”	The “n” sound in “Drawn” and “pattern” connects the words musically, linking ideas.
Enjambment	Continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line	“Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,”	The sentence flows into the next line, enhancing the speaker’s reflective tone.
Hyperbole	Exaggerated statements	“That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him”	This exaggeration of Saturn “laughing and leaping” emphasizes the joyfulness of spring.
Imagery	Descriptive language appealing to the senses	“Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose”	“Deep vermilion” vividly appeals to the sense of sight, evoking the rich color of the rose.
Metaphor	A direct comparison between two things	“You pattern of all those”	The speaker compares the beloved to a “pattern,” meaning they are the ideal model of beauty.
Personification	Attributing human characteristics to non-human things	“Hath put a spirit of youth in everything”	Spring is personified as placing youth and energy into the world.
Quatrain	A stanza of four lines	First four lines of the poem	The poem follows the quatrain structure, typical of Shakespearean sonnets, providing a rhythmic form.
Refrain	A repeated line or group of lines	“Nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell”	Repeated phrases like “nor” create a refrain-like effect, emphasizing the speaker’s emotional state.
Rhyme	Correspondence of sound between words	“Trim – him; hue – grew”	The rhyme enhances the musical quality and creates a sense of closure in each quatrain.
Simile	A comparison using “like” or “as”	“As with your shadow I with these did play”	The speaker compares interacting with nature to playing with a shadow, indicating a lack of true engagement.
Sonnet	A poem of 14 lines with a specific rhyme scheme	The entire poem	The poem follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
Symbolism	Use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities beyond the literal sense	“The lily’s white”	The lily symbolizes purity, which the speaker fails to appreciate in the absence of the beloved.
Tone	The general attitude or mood of the poem	The speaker’s melancholic reflection	The poem’s tone reflects sadness and longing as the speaker feels disconnected from the beauty of spring.
Iambic Pentameter	A line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short syllable followed by a long syllable	“From you have I been absent in the spring,”	This line follows the iambic pentameter, a rhythmic structure typical of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Volta	The turn of thought or argument in a sonnet	“Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away,”	This line marks a shift in tone, from describing spring to the speaker’s inner sense of winter.
Synecdoche	A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole	“Proud lap pluck them where they grew”	“Lap” is used to represent the earth as a whole, emphasizing the connection between nature and the speaker.

Themes: “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

1. Absence and Longing: The central theme of the sonnet is the speaker’s emotional disconnection from the joys of spring due to the absence of the beloved. The speaker’s inability to appreciate the beauty of the season is evident in lines such as, “Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white, / Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose” (lines 9-10). The absence creates a deep sense of longing, as the speaker feels isolated from the vibrancy of life that surrounds him, underscoring the emotional weight of separation.
2. The Power of Love: Another significant theme is the transformative power of love. The speaker suggests that his experience of beauty, joy, and even nature itself is deeply tied to the presence of the beloved. Despite the arrival of spring, a season of renewal and youth, the speaker remarks, “Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away, / As with your shadow I with these did play” (lines 13-14). This suggests that love not only influences the speaker’s emotions but also his perception of the world, with everything seeming cold and lifeless without the beloved.
3. Nature and Beauty: The sonnet explores the relationship between nature and beauty, with the speaker reflecting on the splendor of spring — “When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, / Hath put a spirit of youth in everything” (lines 2-3). However, he paradoxically finds no joy in it because, for him, the beloved is the embodiment of all beauty. The speaker cannot appreciate the vibrant colors and sweet smells of the flowers because they are mere reflections of the beloved, described as the “pattern of all those” (line 12), emphasizing that the beloved surpasses all natural beauty.
4. Time and Seasons: The contrast between spring and winter highlights the theme of time, particularly in relation to emotional states. Spring typically symbolizes rebirth, growth, and vitality, while winter often represents death or dormancy. The speaker, however, feels stuck in an emotional “winter” despite the arrival of spring, symbolizing how time and seasons can be experienced differently based on one’s internal emotional state. The reference to “heavy Saturn” (line 4), the Roman god associated with time, reinforces the idea that time feels burdensome and joyless in the beloved’s absence.

Literary Theories and “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

Literary Theory	Application to “Sonnet 98”	References from the Sonnet
Psychoanalytic Theory	This theory, based on Freud’s ideas, explores the speaker’s inner emotional conflict and unconscious desires. The sonnet reflects a sense of emotional repression, as the speaker is unable to connect with the joys of spring, which may suggest deep psychological attachment to the beloved.	The speaker’s statement, “Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white, / Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose” (lines 9-10), reveals his inability to experience external beauty, symbolizing emotional detachment or sublimated desire for the beloved.
New Criticism	Focuses on close reading of the text, emphasizing formal elements like imagery, structure, and metaphor. In this approach, the sonnet’s careful use of form, rhyme, and metaphor highlights the emotional depth of the speaker’s experience.	The structured rhyme scheme (ABAB) and use of metaphor, such as “You pattern of all those” (line 12), emphasize the beloved as the ideal form of beauty and order in the speaker’s emotional and aesthetic world.
Ecocriticism	This theory examines the relationship between literature and the natural world. The sonnet can be viewed as exploring the speaker’s disconnection from nature, reflecting on how human emotions shape one’s interaction with the environment.	Despite the lush imagery of spring, such as “When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim” (line 2), the speaker cannot appreciate nature’s beauty due to his emotional state, showing the influence of human emotions on one’s perception of the natural world.

Critical Questions about “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

1. How does the speaker’s emotional state affect his perception of nature in the sonnet?
   The speaker’s emotional state dramatically alters how he perceives the natural world. Although it is spring, a time traditionally associated with beauty and renewal, the speaker feels detached from its vibrancy because of the absence of the beloved. This is expressed in lines like, “Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white, / Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose” (lines 9-10). The speaker’s lack of enthusiasm for these typically admired features of nature reflects his inner desolation and longing. His emotional state transforms the beauty of spring into something mundane, suggesting that his appreciation for nature is contingent upon the presence of the beloved.
2. Why does the speaker compare the absence of the beloved to winter despite it being spring?
   The speaker compares the absence of the beloved to winter to highlight the emotional coldness and barrenness he feels without them. While nature is in full bloom during spring, the speaker feels no warmth or joy, stating, “Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away” (line 13). This comparison emphasizes the dissonance between the external world and the speaker’s inner experience. Though the season is one of renewal and growth, the speaker’s heart remains frozen, illustrating how love profoundly shapes his perception of time and seasons.
3. What is the significance of the reference to Saturn in the sonnet?
   The reference to Saturn in line 4—“That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him”—is significant as it brings a symbolic layer of time and melancholy to the sonnet. Saturn, the Roman god associated with time and age, is often linked with somberness and reflection. By stating that even Saturn laughed and leaped during spring, the speaker highlights the stark contrast between the season’s natural exuberance and his own sadness. The reference to Saturn underscores the weight of time on the speaker, suggesting that in the absence of the beloved, even time feels oppressive and joyless.
4. How does Shakespeare use imagery to contrast the speaker’s emotions with the setting of spring?
   Shakespeare uses rich imagery throughout the sonnet to contrast the speaker’s emotional emptiness with the flourishing beauty of spring. The detailed description of spring, with phrases like “proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim” (line 2) and “different flowers in odour and in hue” (line 6), paints a vivid picture of nature in full bloom. However, the speaker remains unaffected by these sensory delights, stating, “Could make me any summer’s story tell” (line 7). The contrast between the colorful, lively imagery of spring and the speaker’s emotional detachment emphasizes how deeply his feelings for the absent beloved influence his entire experience of the world, rendering beauty meaningless without their presence.

Literary Works Similar to “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

1. “Bright Star” by John Keats
   Both poems explore themes of longing and an intense emotional connection to a loved one, with nature serving as a backdrop to personal feelings.
2. “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron
   Like Shakespeare’s sonnet, this poem celebrates the beauty of a beloved, drawing comparisons between the beloved and natural elements.
3. “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats
   Keats, like Shakespeare, contrasts nature’s beauty with the speaker’s emotional turmoil and sense of disconnection from life’s joys.
4. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns
   Burns’ poem shares a theme of comparing the beloved to elements of nature, emphasizing the lover’s deep affection and connection to beauty.
5. “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
   Similar to Shakespeare’s exploration of seasonal changes, Yeats reflects on the passage of time and the speaker’s longing for a sense of emotional fulfillment.

Representative Quotations of “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective	References from the Sonnet
“From you have I been absent in the spring”	The speaker begins by lamenting their physical and emotional separation from the beloved.	Psychoanalytic Theory: Highlights the speaker’s inner conflict and longing.	Line 1
“When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim”	The speaker describes the lively and colorful spring, symbolizing nature’s renewal.	Ecocriticism: Illustrates the natural world’s vibrancy, but the speaker remains detached.	Line 2
“Hath put a spirit of youth in everything”	Spring’s energy revitalizes the natural world, creating an atmosphere of rejuvenation.	New Criticism: Focuses on the metaphor of spring’s youthfulness and its contrast with the speaker’s mood.	Line 3
“That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him”	Even the typically melancholic figure of Saturn is described as joyful in spring.	Classical Allusion & Psychoanalytic Theory: Saturn, as a symbol of time and melancholy, contrasts with the joy of spring.	Line 4
“Nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell”	The speaker lists sensory delights of spring, but remains emotionally unaffected by them.	Psychoanalytic Theory: The speaker’s emotional numbness reflects inner conflict.	Line 5
“Of different flowers in odour and in hue”	Nature’s diversity and beauty are described, with emphasis on the sensory richness of spring.	Ecocriticism: Highlights nature’s flourishing, contrasting with the speaker’s disconnection.	Line 6
“Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose”	The speaker acknowledges the beauty of the rose but cannot appreciate it without the beloved.	New Criticism: Symbolism of the rose as a representation of beauty the speaker cannot fully experience.	Line 10
“You pattern of all those”	The beloved is described as the model of all beauty, surpassing nature itself.	Psychoanalytic Theory & New Criticism: The beloved is idealized, becoming the speaker’s emotional and aesthetic focus.	Line 12
“Yet seem’d it winter still, and, you away”	Despite the arrival of spring, the speaker feels as though it remains winter in the beloved’s absence.	Psychoanalytic Theory: Emotional detachment shapes perception of time and seasons.	Line 13
“As with your shadow I with these did play”	The speaker interacts with the beauty of spring as though it is a mere shadow of the beloved.	New Criticism: The metaphor of the shadow emphasizes the speaker’s inability to engage with nature without the beloved.	Line 14

Suggested Readings: “Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent in The Spring” by William Shakespeare

1. Emerson, Oliver Farrar. “Shakespeare’s Sonneteering.” Studies in Philology, vol. 20, no. 2, 1923, pp. 111–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4171848. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
2. Bates, Ernest Sutherland. “The Sincerity of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” Modern Philology, vol. 8, no. 1, 1910, pp. 87–106. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/432499. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
3. MATZ, ROBERT. “THE SCANDALS OF SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS.” ELH, vol. 77, no. 2, 2010, pp. 477–508. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40664640. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
4. Barber, C. L. “Shakespeare in His Sonnets.” The Massachusetts Review, vol. 1, no. 4, 1960, pp. 648–72. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25086565. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.