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Notesabsence (2): The poet and his young friend have been apart three years. qualify: moderate or soften.exchang'd (7): Altered. stain (8): The poet's "stain" is his unfaithfulness to the young man. We can sense here a confidence and independence in the tone -- a tone found only in a few of the Sonnets. The poet reveals that his feelings toward his friend have cooled during his time away from London, likely during a tour with his acting company, the Chamberlain's Men (around 1594). His confession that in his nature "reign'd/All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood" (9-10), illustrates that his passions have no doubt been aroused by other acquaintances. This becomes even more apparent if we read Sonnet 110, in which the poet admits that his infidelities fulfilled a need to reclaim his youth: "These blenches gave my heart another youth" (7). The theme continues throughout Sonnets 111-120, and the poet uses many terms for the same crime: "stain", "frailties" (109); "offences" (110); "harmful deeds", "infection" (111); "shames" (112); "diseased" (118); "transgression" (120); etc. Many scholars believe that Shakespeare's relationship with his dear friend (likely the Earl of Southampton ) is more than platonic and few sonnets lend credibility to this argument more so than 109-120. Although the poet freely admits his "stain", he insists that through his errors the love he feels for his "rose" has been strengthened. Sonnet 109 is an apology of sorts, but the poet in no way begs for forgiveness. What we find instead is "tender praise finely contrived, perhaps as a valediction" (Winifred Nowottny. In New Essays on Shakespeare's Sonnets, New York: AMS, 1976, [66]). How to cite this article: |
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