Sonnet 128 is a poem written by William Shakespeare that belongs to the Fair Youth sequence of his sonnets. In this sonnet, Shakespeare addresses his young male friend, who is the subject of many of his sonnets, and compares him to a common prostitute.
The poem begins with the speaker declaring that his friend is "as sweet as a summer's day," implying that he is a beautiful and desirable person. However, the speaker then goes on to say that his friend is also "as hot as a furnace," suggesting that he is sexually promiscuous and behaves in a way that is inappropriate for a gentleman.
The speaker then compares his friend to a prostitute, saying that he is "as tainted" as a woman who "sells love's old story" for money. This comparison is meant to be derogatory and suggests that the speaker's friend is not behaving in a proper or respectable manner.
Despite the negative comparison to a prostitute, the speaker seems to have a deep affection for his friend, as he says that he "doth protest too much" when it comes to denying his love for him. This phrase, which means to protest or object too strongly, suggests that the speaker's love for his friend is strong and genuine, even though he may be disappointed in his behavior.
In the final lines of the sonnet, the speaker asserts that his friend's beauty and worth are not diminished by his promiscuity and that he will continue to love him despite his flaws. This shows a deep sense of loyalty and devotion on the part of the speaker, even in the face of his friend's questionable actions.
Overall, Sonnet 128 is a complex and thought-provoking poem that explores themes of love, loyalty, and the complexities of human behavior. Through its use of vivid imagery and strong emotions, it captures the essence of the speaker's relationship with his friend and the challenges they face as they navigate the ups and downs of life.
Sonnet 128
He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "The Bard". To be tickled like that, my lips would gladly change place With those dancing wooden blocks, Over which your fingers walk with gentle steps, Making dead wood more blessed than living lips. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. William Wordsworth even suggests that the sonnets were how Shakespeare "unlocked his heart".
The Works of Shakespeare: Sonnets. To be tickled like that my lips would willingly be transformed into wood and change places with those dancing chips over which your fingers walk with gentle steps, making dead wood more blessed than living lips. Sonnet 128 draws many similarities to Shakespeare's Sonnet 8, and its musical language and theme. His plays remain highly popular today and are consistently performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. Both sonnets refer "my musike", throughout drawing a clear connection to each other.
No Fear Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Sonnet 128
To be so tickled, they would change their state And situation with those dancing chips, O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait, Making dead wood more blest than living lips. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimed Shakespeare's genius, and the Victorians hero-worshipped Shakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw called "bardolatry". Since saucy jacks so happy are in this, Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss. To be so tickled they would change their state And situation with those dancing chips, O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait, Making dead wood more blest than living lips. Life in Shakespeare's London From Shakespeare's London. The jacks "nimble leap" which is both representative of the music being played and the men who are trying to show off to win the love interest's attention. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613.
Sonnet 128: How Oft When Thou, My Music, Music Play'st
In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. The only consolation the poet has is his fantasy of kissing his mistress, which is an empty comfort given that the poet craves the sensuous touch the Dark Lady uses as she plays the musical instrument. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. Shakespeare's writing average was 1. GradeSaver, 23 August 2006 Web. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died three years later. On the other hand, J.
In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. Between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the playing company the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. Line 12 could begin regularly, with an initial reversal, or with a minor ionic; the antithesis between "dead wood" and "living lips" suggests the latter. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. The sonnet is comparable to Sonnet 8 in that both concern music, but Sonnet 128 speaks of "my music" while Sonnet 8 speaks of "Music to hear," a subtle distinction in feeling, with Sonnet 128 the more sensual of the two. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest examples in the English language.
The Complete Sonnets and Poems. It is not certain when each of the sonnets were written but there is evidence to suggest that they were written privately and not meant to be published. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others. The Shakespeare Name and Place Dictionary. Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. . In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.
His plays have been tr William Shakespeare baptised 26 April 1564 was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Since saucy jacks so happy are in this, Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss. Since those cheeky keys are so happy doing this give them your fingers and me your lips to kiss. Shakespeare's writing average was 1. Its number suggests, like The main imagery that Shakespeare invokes in this poem is of a woman playing a Line 5 mentions jacks, which are the plucking mechanisms on the harpsichord.
He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "The Bard". In my opinion this sonnet was probably one of the worst sonnets written by William Shakespeare. To be so tickled, they would change their state And situation with those dancing chips, O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait, Making dead wood more bless'd than living lips. Sonnet 128: Translation to modern English How often — when you, my joy, make music on those wooden keys whose movement responds to your sweet fingers, and stuns my ears with the harmony of the strings — do I envy those keys that leap nimbly up and down to kiss the tender palms of your hands while my poor lips, that should be doing the kissing, look on, blushing at the boldness of the keys! Shakespeare Sonnet 128 - How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st directory search SONNET 128 How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st, Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds With thy sweet fingers, when thou gently sway'st The wiry concord that mine ear confounds, Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap To kiss the tender inward of thy hand, Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap, At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand! There have been plays and sonnets attributed to Shakespeare that were not authentically written by the great master of language and literature. His plays have been translated into every major living language, and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. According to historians, Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets throughout the span of his life. Since those cheeky upstarts are so happy to be there, Give them your fingers, but give me your lips to kiss. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems.
