Sonnet 27 Shakespeare Response

SONNET 27

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.




This is a sonnet written by shakespeare and to start it off, on line 13, it is not lol, but lo, An exclamation used to draw attention to an interesting or amazing event. Shakespeare wrote this poem to show the lifestyle he endures, concerning lost or gone love. In my own personal decipher, I will start from the beggining and translate. Tired, I try to go to sleep, to give rest to my body for I travled for long. However i cant rest because i start to think. My mind works when my body can't work anymore. And my brain is eager for a journey to you, but i try to say awake, and lookng into the darkness of my room. Except that my hearts wanting makes your image apear in the night, which in contrast and combination made thedark look beutiful and your old face gorgeuos. Aha! Always I am working physically and mentally, and i never find peace.


The main theme that sonnets usually focus on is love. Shakespeare especially foceses on very complicated relationships about his love, or at least makes it sound very complicated. Specifically I think this one is about a past lover whom Shakespeare can no longer see. It is possible that she has died, which would work with the part where he says "...and her old face new." I chose this sonnet, and really love it because it has such an interesting and involving point, being that the author cannot ever be at rest for his mind and body are always working. I loved how Shakespeare was always using the best of words for what he wanted to say.


For example, he could have easily have said something like "my body and my limbs are so tired" instead of "The dear repose for limbs with travel tired." The difference in quality is painfully visible just from a few words, the main one being repose. I didn't even know what it was and was forced to look it up. It makes me think about the fact that having a wide range of vocabulary might be the key, and main factor to a good sonnet. Even if the sonnet is about your love for Cheese Doodles, I am sure if you spoke the way Shakespeare you could make it sound good. My attempt (first 4 sentences): For have I a deep yearn'ing for my sweet love, That unto thee I use magniloquence. My soul thinks of nothing besides thereof. Cheese Doodles hast i not misrepresent.


I just wrote the first four lines of a sonnet about Cheese Doodles, and no matter how you look at it, The subject of that partial sonnet is awful. However I ornate it with some fancy vocabulary, and it becomes mediocre and slightly amusing. This is taking matters to the extreme however, and with a decent poem, a beautiful piece could be made. I think Shakespeare realized this and chose to sacrifice readability for artistic, creative, and of beauty remembrance for his sonnets.