In 1609, Shakespeare published a slim collection of 154 sonnets. As you probably already know, a sonnet follows strict rules. Shakespeare’s sonnets are 14 lines long, and are divided into three groups of four lines, followed by a final couplet. That couplet neatly summarises the argument of the sonnet or introduces an interesting twist. Shakespeare was 45 years old and had been an established playwright for 18 years. As a playwright, he was nearing the end of his career, having already written 33 of the 38 plays that we attribute to him.
The sonnets were hugely popular and influential. It is no exaggeration to describe them as the single most important book of poetry ever published. Although the sonnet sequence was published in 1609, the poems seem to have been written over the course of Shakespeare’s life – they are first mentioned in 1598, and four appear for the first time in print the following year.
The sonnets appear to offer the chance of hearing Shakespeare’s voice directly – in the plays, it is not his voice we hear but that of the character being portrayed. That impression of a direct connection through the sonnets may be false, as Shakespeare is an elusive artist and these sonnets should not be read as confessional statements, but as sophisticated artistic creations. Nevertheless, the temptation to consider them an opportunity to gain a very personal and intimate insight into the thoughts of the greatest writer and the most astonishing genius of all time is almost irresistible.
This wonderful poem is an expression of love, but it is also something else – it resonates with us deeply, as it explores other feelings that will be familiar to us all. Feelings of sorrow, self-criticism, self-doubt and even a kind of despair.
The language is 400 years old but is still very accessible. The only word you might not know is ‘bootless’, which means futile or worthless.
Sonnet 29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Shakespeare is not necessarily the same person as the speaker of this poem. This could be an entirely imagined scenario. However, I doubt that, and in any case, it is easier to refer to the speaker as Shakespeare. There is definitely a sense of a speaker – you have a real feeling that someone is working through their thoughts and feelings here. There is an intellectual and emotional journey that leads through darkness to the resolution of the final couplet. Just as there is a speaker, there is a person to whom the poem is addressed. This is, fittingly for a playwright, a sort of dialogue, although one of the voices is currently silent. One wonders what was said next, in response.
What is said, is deeply sad. At the start of the poem Shakespeare is describing how bad he is feeling. He is out of luck, and others hold him in low opinion. All alone, he is weeping sorrowfully, without any hope of things improving. Shakespeare feels his life is useless and wishes he was more like other people, who he feels are more talented and happier than he is. Even the things he likes bring him no happiness and he almost despises himself. In that lowest point, he thinks of his love and his heart leaps up. Knowing that he is loved, Shakespeare would not swap places with anyone.
You heard me read the sonnet, but I am a pale shadow of what a talented actor can deliver with Shakespeare’s material. Here is a clip from the Graham Norton Show, a chat show. Judi Dench is challenged by him to recite some Shakespeare. Listen to how she responds:
Judi Dench
Judi Dench is extraordinary – she finds a way to explore all of the depth of emotion in the sonnet; she seems to go to an otherworldly place to channel the essence of the poem through herself. But take a moment to think about the words she speaks. Shakespeare is writing of his distress, his self-doubt, his feelings of being worthless and unsuccessful. He envies the talents of men he thinks are better than he is. He considers himself the lowest of the low and unworthy. Take a moment to reflect who is writing this. The best writer in the world. Probably the greatest genius this country or any country has produced. And this sonnet is published after his triumphant success as a playwright. Shakespeare is all that and he tells us that he has had moments when he lost confidence and even hope in himself.
It shows that no-one is immune to self-doubt. If Shakespeare can question his talent, we all can. Shakespeare gives us hope in Sonnet 29. He does it by showing us he shares our moments of sorrow and doubt. He does it by distilling that experience into sublime poetry. Finally, he shows us how to break the negative cycle of thoughts. We get out of it by caring for another.
We all feel sad at times. We all feel we aren’t up to the challenge sometimes. But we all carry the solution, and we carry it for each other. When you are feeling low (and you will sometimes) turn to another for help. And if someone turns to you for that help, accept the request as a compliment. And give your support freely.
Here is a final version of the sonnet. You have heard me read it, and you have heard Judi Dench recite it. Now listen to Florence Welch, of the band Florence and the Machine, singing the sonnet to the music of Rufus Wainwright. I think this is shatteringly beautiful.
