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,
Reference
The given lines are taken from Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare.
The work belongs to the sonnet tradition and follows the English or
Shakespearean sonnet structure, consisting of three quatrains and
a final rhyming couplet. It is associated with the
Elizabethan/Renaissance period of English literature. These lines
were originally published in the 1609 Quarto, a collection of 154
sonnets.
Context
In these lines, the speaker, who is a figure of the poet, is in a state of
deep despair and melancholy. The passage occurs at the
beginning of the sonnet, establishing a mood of intense dejection
and self-pity. It reflects the central theme of the work, which is the
speaker's transformation from a feeling of being a social outcast to
finding joy and wealth in love. More broadly, the lines connect to the
larger literary tradition of exploring universal human emotions such as
despair, jealousy, and self-worth.
Explanation
The lines emphasize a state of utter hopelessness through the use of
personification and imagery. The speaker personifies fortune and heaven,
feeling abandoned by both. His "bootless cries" (useless cries) to "deaf
heaven" highlight his sense of being unheard and his prayers being in vain.
The tone is despairing and solemn, as the speaker "all alone beweeps"
(cries over) his "outcast state."
Critical Note/Commentary
These lines illustrate a moment of deep introspection and self-loathing. From
an analytical viewpoint, the sonnet's opening quatrain is a powerful
exposition of despair, which makes the subsequent volta (or turn) at the
beginning of the third quatrain all the more significant. The dramatic shift
from dejection to elation upon thinking of his beloved shows the
transformative power of love. The passage may also be seen as a
reflection of Shakespeare's own possible feelings of being "in disgrace"
as an actor during periods when London theaters were closed due to the
plague.
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;
Reference
The given lines are taken from Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare.
The work belongs to the sonnet tradition and follows the English or
Shakespearean sonnet structure, consisting of three quatrains and
a final rhyming couplet. It is associated with the
Elizabethan/Renaissance period of English literature. These lines
were originally published in the 1609 Quarto, a collection of 154
sonnets.
Context
In these lines, the speaker, who is a figure of the poet, is in a state of
deep despair and melancholy. The passage occurs at the
beginning of the sonnet, establishing a mood of intense dejection
and self-pity. It reflects the central theme of the work, which is the
speaker's transformation from a feeling of being a social outcast to
finding joy and wealth in love. More broadly, the lines connect to the
larger literary tradition of exploring universal human emotions such as
despair, jealousy, and self-worth.
Explanation
The lines emphasize a state of utter hopelessness through the use of
personification and imagery. The speaker personifies fortune and heaven,
feeling abandoned by both. His "bootless cries" (useless cries) to "deaf
heaven" highlight his sense of being unheard and his prayers being in vain.
The tone is despairing and solemn, as the speaker "all alone beweeps"
(cries over) his "outcast state."
Critical Note/Commentary
These lines illustrate a moment of deep introspection and self-loathing. From
an analytical viewpoint, the sonnet's opening quatrain is a powerful
exposition of despair, which makes the subsequent volta (or turn) at the
beginning of the third quatrain all the more significant. The dramatic shift
from dejection to elation upon thinking of his beloved shows the
transformative power of love. The passage may also be seen as a
reflection of Shakespeare's own possible feelings of being "in disgrace"
as an actor during periods when London theaters were closed due to the
plague.