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 thatman's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts my self 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. It is uncertain whether the state of disgrace referred to in this sonnet is a real or imaginary one, for we have no external evidence of a dip in Shakespeare's fortunes which might have contributed to an attack of melancholy and a subsequent castigation of fate as the perpetrator. It is tempting to relate works to periods in an author's life. Certainly the years in which Shakespeare wrote Lear and Timon of Athens seem not to have been the happiest of times, but it is almost impossible to correlate particular events in his life, and the possible emotional crises that they could have produced, with publication dates, or known dates of production of his plays. (See further notes on SonnetXXIX . )
The sorrow quoted here might be more rhetorical than real, being part of the sonnet tradition, in which many misfortunes contrive to make the lover unhappy. It also servesto highlight the great joy which ends the poem, when he thinks once more on his beloved, as in the psalms, and rises above the clouds. The pillar perished is whereto I leant, The strongest stay of mine unquiet mind; The like of it no man again canfind, From East to West, still seeking though he went. To mine unhap! for hap away hath rent Of all my joy, the very bark and rind; And I (alas) by chance am thus assigned Dearly to mourn till death do it relent. But since that thus it is by destiny, What can I more but have a woeful heart, My pen in plaint, my voice in woeful cry, My mind in woe, my body full of smart. And I my self, my self always tohate Till dreadfull death do ease my doleful state. The piller pearishd is whearto I lent : The strongest staye of myne unquyet mynde ; The lyke of it no man agayne can fynde, Ffrom East to West, still seking thoughe he went. To myne unhappe ! for happe away hath rent Of all my joye, the verye bark and rynde; And I (alas) by chaunce am thus assynde Dearlye to moorne till death do it relent. But syns that thus it is by destenye, What can I more but have a wofull hart, My penne in playnt, my voycein wofull crye, My mynde in woe, my bodye full of smart. And I my self, my self always to hate Till dreadfull death, do ease my dolefull state. NOTES whereto = upon whichTo mine unhap = to my misfortune. This line is dependent on line 1.hap = fortune.away hath rent = has torn awaythe bark and rind (the very essence) of all my joys.assigned = allotted the fate.dearly = grievously.My pen in plaint = my pen writing laments.
