I now blog over at The Eyre Guide! This blog is an archive of my past posts.


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Highlight Poetry (3)

Posted by Charlene // Tags: ,
highlight poetry
Highlight Poetry is a meme created by Lace & Lavender Hints to celebrate a poem once a week.

Sonnet 61 - "Is it thy will thy image should keep open"
by William Shakespeare

Is it thy will thy image should keep open
My heavy eyelids to the weary night?
Dost thou desire my slumbers should be broken,
While shadows like to thee do mock my sight?
Is it thy spirit that thou send'st from thee
So far from home into my deeds to pry,
To find out shames and idle hours in me,
The scope and tenure of thy jealousy?
O no, thy love, though much, is not so great,
It is my love that keeps mine eye awake,
Mine own true love that doth my rest defeat,
To play the watchman ever for thy sake.

For thee watch I, whilst thou dost wake elsewhere,
From me far off, with others all too near.


"Do you love me, as I love you?"  A line from a song ("In the Still of the Night") that this sonnet reminds me of.  That song and this sonnet captures this irresistible (to me) poignant sadness in an all-consuming love.  And the heart-breaking uncertainty that the other person doesn't feel quite the same as you feel.  I think that tension is romantic, but of course, were I reading this in a story, the other person would have to love them back just as much or I won't be satisfied with the story!


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3 comments:

  1. How is it I make everything about Jane Eyre..this line:
    While shadows like to thee do mock my sight?

    I kept thinking of Rochester dreaming of Jane when she is gone!

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  2. I think of Jane Eyre with this sonnet too! So you are not alone. :D I like to think of it too as Jane's thoughts while Rochester has his house party.

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    1. Ohh I can see that two in this line "Is it thy spirit that thou send'st from thee So far from home into my deeds to pry" when he talks about sending her to Ireland!

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