Shakespeare Sonnet # 43

Alyson Benitez

Quatrain 1

A: When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,

B: For all the day they view things unrespected;

A: But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,

B: And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.

Quatrain 2C: Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,

D: How would thy shadow's form form happy show

C: To the clear day with thy much clearer light,

D: When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!

Quatrain 3E: How would, I say, mine eyes be blessed made

F: By looking on thee in the living day,

E: When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade

F: Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!

CoupletG: All days are nights to see till I see thee,

  

 G: And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

Theme The absence of a loved one disturbs the

mind and sanity of a grieving individual causing an escape from reality through the dream world.

Questions Is the writer referring to someone who is

dead or missed?

Love or grieving sonnet?

Personal Response Difficult to separate reality from the dream

world

Beautiful references between bright and dark to set an emotion or mood for readers