Sonnet 43 Paraphrase And Meaning - During London plagues, Shakespeare took to writing sonnets, as the theatres were shut down. In sonnet 43 , in attempting to paraphrase, we can see how the author took this quiet opportunity to experiment with his poetry and hone his writing craft when all the fun of London had gone quiet and audiences and fun seekers had fear and disease on their minds. In this sonnet, he beckons his writing inspiration to come to him while he sleeps:
Sonnet 43 |
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| When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, | |
| For all the day they view things unrespected, | |
| But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee, | |
And darkly bright are bright in dark directed.
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Sonnet 43 Paraphrase
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When I am sleeping and my are closed, and I am dreaming,
that's when I can imagine things best, like you - my inspiration.
The things I see during the day when I am awake with my eyes open are not as inspiring or imaginative as the things I see in my dreams.
When I look upon my inspiration during dreams, its brightness is enough to light the dark.
Sonnet 43 by William Shakespeare is open to two interpretations. Some critics believe the author is referring to a sweetheart here and that this sonnet is a love poem in honour of the person who inspires his writing and brings him joy.
Other Shakespeare enthusiasts interpret the sonnet simply as as a call to his poetic Muse, his imagination. Either way, this romantic poem carries images of beauty, joy, sleep and light.
Shakespeare obviously had fun with this poem, experimenting with form, structure and style and making the piece quite complex.
For some Shakespearean London fun in the author's own capital city, try The Globe Theatre on the banks of the River Thames. there are fun activities and workshops right through the holidays with many budget London hotels close by. Catch a show at the theatre in the evening, or view some of the many exhibitions in the museum. Shakespeare's Globe is one of the most fun things to do in London.
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You, my inspiration, are so bright you make even shadows bright
I wish I could see the bright shadow of your inspiration during the day time when I'm awake how happy would I be to see this 'bright' shadow |
during my waking hours, when even people without perfect vision can see you glowing.
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I can't really say my own eyes are blessed
when I can see you during the day,
but at night,when my eyes are blind with sleep,
they can still discern you.
Until you come to me agin,
my waking hours are like the dark.
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| when at night wth your 'bright' shadow, |
| my 'blind' eyes of sleep are able to perceive you |
Till I see you days are nights,
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and night-time seems like day-time when you are there.
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