In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 92, a very pragmatic yet idealistic lover talks to his lady about how much he loves her, and the place she holds in his heart. In essence, the sonnet itself is about the man arming himself against disappointment – a constant motif in the sonnet is about whether or not the woman will hurt him, to which he claims that “need I not to fear the worst of wrongs / When in the least of them my life hath end” (lines 5-6). The poet loves the woman so much that, even if she were to hurt him a little bit, he would die. While that seems sad and pathetic on the surface, it only serves to cement the man’s utter devotion to her; his life extends only as long as she loves him: “Life no longer than they love will stay / for it depends upon that love of thine” (lines 3-4). This sonnet shows a man desperately in love with a woman, pledging his entire life to her and telling her he simply cannot live without her – though he does it in the most morbid ways at times.
While the sonnet is about the poet’s love for his woman, the text itself is full of doubt, it seems. He is clearly not in a romantic relationship with her as yet, and seems to be weighing the options of whether or not to be with her. He seems to be in the best position of all, being totally content with whatever option he has: “O what a happy title do I find, / Happy to have thy love, happy to die!” (lines 11-12). Despite this ideal position, however, he is still doubtful as to her fidelity, but resigned to not ever knowing for sure if she was true: “But what’s so blessed-fair that fears no blot? / Thou mayst be false, and yet I know it not” (lines 13-14). With this couplet ending the sonnet, the poet expressed his final assertion that he is walking into a minefield with the woman if he takes on a relationship with her; there is no telling what way she might hurt him, whether through infidelity or even a minor disappointment. However, he seems to be content realizing this alone, because he claims that all situations in life are like that, so he might as well live with it.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 92 is a very contradictory and complicated sonnet, one filled with doubt just as much as it contains love. He definitely sees the difference between happiness and sadness to be a matter of perspective: “I see a better state to me belongs / Than that which on thy humor doth depend” (lines 7-8). This is the most important couplet in the poem to me; he understands that his state of mind does not depend anymore on what she thinks, or whether she is affectionate toward him. While his actions do depend on that (he will die if she hurts him, which possibly implies rejection too), he will be happy with whatever outcome he ends up with. His life is in her hands, but he is fine with that; he will easily die if she displays an “inconstant mind,” though he does not mind this (line 9).
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 92.”
