Poetry Page

[BarbStAubrey]

Our Poetry Page Reads
Shakespeare Sonnets

2016 the world commemorates
400 years since the death of William Shakespeare.


April, 1616. A man died, but a legacy was born; one which proved
so essential not only to the development of
drama and literature, but to language, to thoughts and ideas.

A Sonnet a Day
July 1, till December 1,
We read in order, from 1 to 154
A Shakespeare Sonnet each day.

Welcome
Please share your comments about the day's Sonnet.

Link: First Post of Our Discussion on July 1

Shakespeare Anniversary Links

Shakespeare400 Shakespeare 400 at The Globe Shakespeare 400 Chicago Dame Judi leads Shakespeare Day gala finale Turning Shakespeare’s sonnets into short films

Discussion Leaders: Barb

[BarbStAubrey]

Shakespeare Sonnet LVI

Sweet love, renew thy force; be it not said Thy edge should blunter be than appetite, Which but to-day by feeding is allay'd, To-morrow sharpen'd in his former might: So, love, be thou; although to-day thou fill Thy hungry eyes even till they wink with fullness, To-morrow see again, and do not kill The spirit of love with a perpetual dullness. Let this sad interim like the ocean be Which parts the shore, where two contracted new Come daily to the banks, that, when they see Return of love, more blest may be the view; Else call it winter, which being full of care Makes summer's welcome thrice more wish'd, more rare.

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 56
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWgjVxTALpk

[bellamarie]

Sonnet LVI

Let this sad interim like the ocean be
Which parts the shore, where two contracted new
Come daily to the banks, that, when they see
Return of love, more blest may be the view;

It seems Shakespeare is anticipating what it would be like to see his lost love again. 

The early sonnets dealt with procreation, his youthful male love, describing the beauty of these and then came the betrayals, the pain and anguish of his youthful male and mistress hurting him, then he goes off on a journey of self imposed depression and pain, he returns and now here he is imagining what it will be like if and when he may see his lost love again.  I suppose you could see these different phases he is going through as the steps you go through when a loved one dies.  Not necessarily in this particular order, or of these emotions, but similar with the exception I think he is fantasizing of reuniting with his lost love.  Much like loved ones think of when they will be reunited with the lost loved on in Heaven.
1.  Denial/ Isolation
2.  Anger
3.  Bargaining
4.  Depression
5.  Acceptance

http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/

Just when I thought Shakespeare was coming to the acceptance stage of his lost loss it seems he is reverting to denial, imagining when they may reunite. 

[BarbStAubrey]

Interesting Bellamarie - never thought of the stages of grief but I can see them now over the course of these Sonnets - now I am wondering if they meant to be a stream of consciousness or if someone after his death put them in this order - not in a research mood today but that will be something I would like to find out - how these poems were published - I wonder if there is still information about where they were found and if the same folks who put together the first folio of his plays also published the sonnets.

For me my favorite line is the last - Makes summer's welcome thrice more wish'd, more rare. although, the sentiment for me would be reversed with summer being the season of care and winter being more rare.  Last significant snow fall was in 2008 unless you count this last year - which believe it or not was enough to cancel school no one knows how to drive in the stuff so it was a good decision.

[BarbStAubrey]

Shakespeare Sonnet LVII

Being your slave, what should I do but tend Upon the hours and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend, Nor services to do, till you require. Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you, Nor think the bitterness of absence sour When you have bid your servant once adieu; Nor dare I question with my jealous thought Where you may be, or your affairs suppose, But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought Save, where you are how happy you make those.    So true a fool is love that in your will,    Though you do any thing, he thinks no ill.

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bTcUPnSfcw

[bellamarie]

Oh Barb, that is a very interesting thought..... who did decide to publish the sonnets and did they choose this particular order to place them?  That would have been a huge project to take on, but not impossible to go through them all and place them in the order they read as happening in real time of his life experiences.  I'll leave that to you to go on a hunt for, if you so chose to accept this mission.    If you are a huge Tom Cruise fan and have watched his Mission Impossible movies, which I have, you'll know that comes at the beginning of each movie when he is given his mission and then is given the option to choose to accept it, or not. 

[bellamarie]

Sonnet LVII

Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?

Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,

But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought

Ughh...... this one really is a bit creepy.  He seems like he is so obsessed with his love for this person he can not move on.  He is a slave to his love and desire for this person.  This reminds me of a dark opera where the person ends up killing himself because he realizes he can no longer exist without the love of this person.  I can visualize him taking some form of poison or pills and letting himself slowly drift off into death.... all the while dreaming of the perfection of this lost love, who can do no wrong and he will not be jealous of him going on with someone else. 

Time to call for help.... "Hello this is 911, do you have an emergency?"

[BarbStAubrey]

OH, Oh, oh was that tempting to start to research all about the hows, whens, whats, where and who first published Shakespeare's Sonnets - did learn they were published without Shakespeare's approval in 1609 Then I caught myself - stop, in the name of love - the tune was in my head 

Anyhow went back to the beginning on page 98 that explains what reading these Sonnets together is all about and here is the starting post...

OK --- PLEASE - share YOUR reaction - we all have access to and can read the hundreds of analysis in books and web sites by the Shakespeare specialists and poetry gurus. We really do not need to repeat what we can all pour over first hand.

Pundits, soon after the death of Shakespeare started ruminating in their attempt to identify the lady Shakespeare was writing to or about. Some call her the 'Dark Lady' others the 'Secret Lady'. Please, let’s forget about doing the work of scholars who spent the greater part of their education and life coming to grips with how and for whom these Sonnets were created.

Instead, let’s enjoy these Sonnets for what they are - love poems - Make believe you are the recipient of the love expressed in these poems or the poem is describing a secret lover's impression of you.

We are not reading the Sonnets to identify theme or meter, interpretation or intention. Let's just enjoy the work of this gifted poet afresh, without any concern to the tons of material attempting to explain the work so that we do not lose the immediacy of the beauty expressed, the turn of phrase, so we can be astounded anew with the flow of thought and the lovers argument for accepting his love.

In these 154 Sonnets there are only three things the lover is expressing - the brevity of life, the fleetingness of beauty, and the trappings of desire.

Tell us about your first reaction – After your second read were you moved – Did you catch something you did not catch in the first reading - was there a particular phrase that caught you as you read - Then after your third read, what emotions within yourself did the poem touch. Did Shakespeare pull you in?  What did you find appealing about the 14 lines declaring an aspect of love - - -

[BarbStAubrey]

Bellamarie creepy is right - sure does not feel like love does it - a slave/master relationship - why does this make us so uncomfortable - to be that dependent on a love or is it suggesting the lack of a love returned - not sure what it means but the point of these 14 lines summed up as all Sonnets in the last two lines that he is a fool in love almost minimizes - we think of a fool much as we do a clown - I just want to turn my back on this sentiment.

Maybe the definition for 'fool' was different in the sixteenth century - I've read how the court jester is a fool and can get away with saying anything - even the most controversial subjects can be made into a joke by the court jester - is this then a poem that is one big haha joke do you think?

Not seeing any paradox which we learned in an earlier read was an ID for tongue in cheek - here we see exaggeration and an inanimate object representing either a feeling of devotion or the one to whom he is devoted. All these references to time... hmm appears to be replacing the one who makes him happy... time appears to be a personification for the beloved... in fact the words around the 'time' word added together probably suggest more about his feelings - Upon, precious, world-without-end, watch.

Upon the hours and times
no precious time
world-without-end hour
watch the clock

Then he does repeat a word - slave - Being your slave, - like a sad slave - and servant being close to slave - bid your servant

Sounds like he is saying, being a slave to time is really saying, time is also a personification representing his beloved one  while slave/servant is the personification representing him and his love -

OH I am just making this too hard - the poem does not feel good and I want to make a silk purse out of it - he is obviously devoted to her almost like a parent to a child since a parent would love a child regardless the child's demands or behavior. I get it - the sonnet is saying she/he could do anything for any length of time and he would still be devoted - OK, well not sure it is a 911 call Bellamaire but it sure sounds like he is being fool in today's vernacular unless, maybe this beloved one is his child - hmm could be since these words fit more with a parent child relationship - Upon, precious, world-without-end, watch. Well we just do not know so the whole thing is a mystery... ah so.

[bellamarie]

Barb, I am not seeing a parent/child relationship whatsoever.  It's simply creepy. No tongue in cheek. He is over reaching, over obsessing, and over the top!  Nope, no silk purse here.  911 can I help you?

[BarbStAubrey]

haha the glories of deciphering what we read - need to find that link again to the article - forgot even the name of it - something about how we envision what we read based on our life experiences - again, no right or wrong we each get what we will from these poems - and for you 911 it is... a fool bordering on deranged should we say??? but a 911 call for sure... fun...

By the way have you noticed it is getting dark a bit earlier - these are the kind of evenings when I would like a dog to take for a walk but oh I just do not want the responsibility of caring for one more anyone or animal - taking care of others has been my middle name - enough.   

[BarbStAubrey]

Shakespeare Sonnet LVIII

That God forbid, that made me first your slave, I should in thought control your times of pleasure, Or at your hand th' account of hours to crave, Being your vassal, bound to stay your leisure! O, let me suffer (being at your beck), Th' imprison'd absence of your liberty; And patience, tame to sufferance, bide each check, Without accusing you of injury. Be where you list, your charter is so strong That you yourself may privilege your time To what you will; to you it doth belong Yourself to pardon of self-doing crime.    I am to wait, though waiting so be hell;    Not blame your pleasure, be it ill or well.

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36DOHTOKiyI

[bellamarie]

Yes, Barb, no right or wrong answers to what we individually see. I guess I was bringing a bit of humor into Shakespeare dark drama with 911.     We have a Shih Tzu and have been taking walks in the late afternoon and yes, it's cooling down and is wonderful feeling that last bit of summer and anticipating Fall, as the days get shorter on daylight.  My flowers are loving this, and bursting even more with fullness!   

[bellamarie]

Sonnet LVIII

That God forbid, that made me first your slave,
I should in thought control your times of pleasure,

I am to wait, though waiting so be hell;
   Not blame your pleasure, be it ill or well.

This is a continuation of the last sonnet, he is still in the woe is me mood.  He feels enslaved to his love for this person, does not want the person to feel guilty for going on with his life without him, yet he is wallowing in self pity.  God forbid is right....get over it already!  He has created his own hell.  I've never been a very patient person listening to or trying to deal with a person who refuses to help themselves.  I understand it takes time to heal a broken heart, but this has been going on long enough, he not only is depressing, but he seems to be enslaved to his self inflicted pity party.  Ugh....

[BarbStAubrey]

Bellamarie it sure is isn't it a continuation - this sounds like he is saying he enjoys making his life a misery - either I do not want to accept he is into a 'woe is me' and therefore, I want to imagine there is an affectation of rhetoric here that is going over our heads... or these two Sonnets, that are not joyful, telling us the writer is stuck on a self inflicted merry-go-round and enjoying it suggesting, he is so self centered he thinks he can hijack our feelings so that we accept his sacrificing his life for another and deem it as a noble act.

I do not want to accept the idea it is laudable to feel sorry for yourself however, as a poet, manipulating the feelings of others at least deserves beautiful language - but this - I need to read something else to get past this awfulness. Awful in thought, reason and wording describing his victim status. Needless to say this poem made me feel uncomfortable.

Appears the beat of the changing season is different for each of us - not enough coolness yet for flowers to recover regardless all the rain - two weeks of heavy rain has everything mixed up - the deer are already bulking up and snorting at the male yearlings to leave the band - they are showing signs of pre-rut that we usually do not experience till the end of September on into October but it may start early this year.

And our real sign of autumn - school marching bands can be heard practicing on every campus Monday through Thursday  and boys are seen running, pushing, jumping, throwing, tackling practicing to do themselves and their team proud Friday nights. With the growth in the city we now have so many high school Friday night football games that some teams have selected to play on Thursday night - not sure how they manage class on Friday all aches and pains and not sure how the moms will alter the traditional booster cakes and cookies seldom eaten other than on Friday night but I am sure they will work it out. First games were played last night with the local news a half hour longer bringing us up to date with scores and exceptional plays.

It will be another month before it is cool enough to open all the windows - waiting like a kid before Christmas - I am determined this year to really tackle the clearing I started the last couple of years - I do some - feel successful till a few months later and realize there is so much more I am no longer useing and so another clear out must be scheduled.

Well off to read and clear out this poem from my thinking - grrrr - just do not like this message of feeling put upon and his accepting it as his due...

[BarbStAubrey]

Shakespeare Sonnet LIX

If there be nothing new, but that which is Hath been before, how are our brains beguil'd, Which, labouring for invention, bear amiss The second burthen of a former child! O, that record could with a backward look, Even of five hundred courses of the sun, Show me your image in some antique book, Since mind at first in character was done! That I might see what the old world could say To this composed wonder of your frame; Whether we are mended, or whe'r better they, Or whether revolution be the same. O! sure I am, the wits of former days To subjects worse have given admiring praise.

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKcYNFPljT0

[bellamarie]

Sonnet LIX

Shakespeare is wondering if he could look back years ago, possibly as far back as the beginning of time when writing first began, if he would see others saw the same beauty as he is seeing and writing about today, or is it just an imitation of prior writings. I just posted in the Library about something very similar to this sonnet, about a book I am reading called "...And Ladies of the Club"  I will copy and paste to save me time from rewriting it, as Shakespeare so seems to think he is repeating the past writings from centuries ago, feeling he may be just an imitation of what has already been written. 

I am truly loving ".....And Ladies of the Club"  It is a real treat.  Oh how it is so similar with today's political arena.  They have just discussed why on earth did they fight the Civil War if not to free the Negroes and give them their right to vote.  One soldier responded "To save the country.  To stop its being torn limb from limb.  To keep the flag flying over the whole of it."  They are all looking forward to General Grant being elected and state, "When General Grant is president, the country will be safe and at peace and united again?"  And then this statement just jumped right out of my book at me...."That's why, when Dock says 'God Knows,' like he did, it sounds as if he thought the war hadn't been worth fighting, when it's only he doubts whether the country has been saved, in spite of all the bloodshed, because those of its saviors who have been governing it haven't been so very wise."

This is back in 1868, and here we are in 2016, almost one-hundred and fifty years later, and saying the same things just months before a very racially charged election in November.  Congress has the lowest trust rating in history, or maybe not, but still as the statement above said, "haven't been so very wise." One thing I have learned through reading the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible, and reading books as far back as the 19th Century, nothing really changes much with politics, religion, and power.  There are changes in Presidents, Leaders, Kings, etc., but the bottom line is, they all govern for control of power of the people.  We look back and see how far we have come with the emancipation proclamation, the women's suffrage, and the 14th amendment to the constitution, yet today, still candidates debating these issues so many years later, still the two major parties attacking each other and not necessarily putting the will or good of the people first.  It could make your head spin!


I found myself asking the same question as Shakespeare is pondering..... is this an imitation, has it gotten better, worse or stayed the same?  It was a little creepy for me to post in the Library first, then come read this sonnet and see such similarity.  He questions of repeating 500 yrs ago, and I question repeating 150 yrs ago. 

[PatH]

Startling, Bellamarie.

Well at last he's stopped sitting around, lonely, waiting for a few meager crumbs of comfort to drop into his lap.

Back to the author's perpetual problem.  If everything has been said before, how do you say it again in a fresh way, or is that even possible?  By now, he's not just competing with the past, but with his own earlier sonnets.

[BarbStAubrey]

The lines that I think you picked up on Pat - the wits of former days To subjects worse have given admiring praise. I am thinking it ties in with what Bellamarie you are saying when you summerize, as far back as the beginning of time when writing first began, if he would see others saw the same beauty as he is seeing and writing about today, or is it just an imitation of prior writings.

I am thinking after reading your excerpt for the book Bellamaire, you are into, haven't been so very wise. We keep in front of us in story after story and statues and art work the glorification of the same behavior - who or what we think are winners are perpetuated as the ideal - and so to be not just on the "right side of history" but to be considered successful the closer we can come to the iconic ideal the more laurels in life and death but the less change is sought.

I am thinking there may be more tongue and cheek in these Sonnets than we are capable of seeing - The times, expressions, the language itself have changed enough that my concern is 'stuff' is going over my head - personally, I think many a Shakespeare scholar is also allowing the humor to go over their head since their reputation is built on scholarly examination of the minutia written, which does not include scholarship with equal sensitivity to the feelings and fears, except the blanket understandings written. This limited understanding does not include how the feelings and fears are unconsciously communicated.

I am thinking how folks today don't realize before WWII there was no penicillin and during the war when it was available the limited production sent it all to the troops so that folks were dying on the homefront because they had no access - but what I remember that is not written describing adults is the stark fear that bordered on terror in the eyes of parents when their child became ill - even with a bad cold - you saw it in the eyes of hurried shoppers and dads hurrying home from work to be with the child that they and the doctor was helpless to cure even using the meds available, most of which were simply bottled versions of various herb extracts.

If a family lost a child that fear defined how they hovered over their other children and were over protective so their children were not permitted to swim or play in the rain or whatever the parents decided was the cause of their child's illness - or how some parents developed a brusque demeanor to hide their feelings of loss and were thought by the neighborhood kids to be the neighborhood crank.

No wonder churches were full of little old ladies wearing black including every weekday morning - they knew the pain of loss but more they knew the fear of who is next. They had no idea how to stop 'whatever' from happening again and all they could do was turn to what they believed was more powerful than any human or any illness. 

And so when I read the analysis for instance of F. Scott Fitzgerald I do not hear any mention of that fear that hung over the heads of parents - and how that fear was one of the uninvited guests to the tug of war over his daughter much less, how that fear oozed into decisions made by royalty or what it did to the parents living in poverty - You have to wonder, what fears are not addressed in the history we continue to read. As Shakespeare says in this Sonnet.
how are our brains beguil'd,
Which, labouring for invention, bear amiss
The second burthen of a former child!   

[BarbStAubrey]

Repeat of; Shakespeare Sonnet LV

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme; But you shall shine more bright in these contents Than unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time. When wasteful war shall statues overturn, And broils root out the work of masonry, Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn The living record of your memory. 'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room Even in the eyes of all posterity That wear this world out to the ending doom. So, till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.

William Shakespeare Sonnet 55
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oVVrzcwd7Q

[bellamarie]

Sonnet LX

These two lines stand out to me.  Shakespeare is once again saying he will keep his lost love alive forever through his sonnet and his heart/eyes.


The living record of your memory.

You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.

[bellamarie]

Yes, Barb, I was referring to ...   haven't been so very wise.  That seems to be the consensus of the majority of the American people today with congress and this president, and for centuries or even longer.  But I also was tuning into the anticipation of the people back in 1868, comparing them to the people of today wanting, hoping and ready for the next president to make their America better.  My observation is that nothing really does change, from as far back as the Old Testament to the New Testament, from the 19th Century to the present 21st Century.  We have made progress, we have seen technology advance, we have had periods of peace, etc., etc., but ultimately like Shakespeare's thoughts..... this all seems to be imitations of before.  A bit like the movie Groundhog Day...... but then isn't that what life is?

[PatH]

There's been a pasting glitch.  That's sonnet 55 over again, not 60.  I'm not sorry, though.  Somehow it seems better the second time around.

[PatH]

Maybe it is Groundhog Day.

[BarbStAubrey]

Oh lordy -somehow I got mixed up last night - in fact had the correct one on the work page and changed it thinking I was wrong - OK I will get this repaired - sorry - yep a repeat oh oh oh well maybe we had to hear it again

[BarbStAubrey]

Shakespeare Sonnet LX

Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end; Each changing place with that which goes before, In sequent toil all forwards do contend. Nativity, once in the main of light, Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd, Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight, And Time, that gave, doth now his gift confound. Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth, And delves the parallels in beauty's brow, Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.    And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,    Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.

William Shakespeare Sonnet 60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay0AqPN7vas

[BarbStAubrey]

whew - fastest I ever did one but then it is partly remembered from what I actually changed last night - ah so - maybe the powers that be decided we needed a repeat - now I need to review the others - I try to be 4 Sonnets ahead in preparing them.

[BarbStAubrey]

I kinda like that image of waves bringing pebbles to a shore as a way of measuring our lifespan - I smile thinking how, darn it all, some years I wish the ocean did a better job of breaking the boulders sent to me down to pebble size 

Pebbles I can handle - I can collect them - I can play with them, polish them, display them, build things with them, put them in the bottom of pots for drainage, line a garden path with them, hold down my papers on a windy day, hold down the beach towel also on a windy day - lots of uses of pebbles and lots of different colors to admire. I can even write on them.

But a boulder - now that is a different story - it either just sits there obstructing the view or you tackle moving it or break it into bits - ah ya ya ya - lots of 'sequent toil' goes into handling a boulder and transfix the flourish set on youth when everything and anything seemed possible - not sure about a scythe to mow on either pebbles or boulder - is this a mixed metaphor do you think? 

[PatH]

Not so much mixed as moved on to the next metaphor, I think.  It's a nice sonnet, isn't it.

[BarbStAubrey]

ah - OK so the next one is being foreshadowed - nice - thanks Pat - yes, I do like this one...

[PatH]

I didn't mean the next poe is foreshadowed; he moves on to a different metaphor in this sonnet.  First the waves, each lapping a tiny bit farther up the shore, obliterating the previous wave, representing our moments passing by.  Then a description of changes with time, slowing down of youth's vigor, creases in the brow.  And finally, we are all mowed down by time's scythe, the grim reaper.

[BarbStAubrey]

Yes Pat, I can see the metaphor to maturity -
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
but did not get the scythe as a metaphor for age - makes since, waiting for death.

I'm still preferring the idea the poem invokes for me that the ocean like uncontrollable luck - something that comes from outside our own control - flushes pebbles as a measurement of time and this very ocean wears away or washes away what hides the boulders that are our life challenge - may not be what other's see or what was intended but that is for me a message that explains life without thought of death.

The next couplet where he talks of the poems future without the restraints of time I saw as our lives also being universal throughout time - we may only be a pebble on the beach rather then the entire beach but we add to the structure of ocean, beach, waves and pebbles - more of a timeless universal theme than a lifespan theme.

I guess I see one lifespan as rather pitiful - few of us individually affect the course of history or capsulize nature or mankind in an art-form - we add our voice, support artists, nurture or ransack the earth as we exchange our energy both physically and mentally, and if we have children pass on a line of DNA - and so our value is in my thinking, universal, as if we are the building material for tomorrow rather than, a measure of what we accomplish during our one lifetime. It appears I must claim the audacity to disagree with Shakespeare

[bellamarie]

OMG PatH., I am laughing out loud..... I never should have brought up Groundhog Day!!       I thought that poem seemed so familiar and what a huge jump I thought from pity party to back to keeping his love's beauty alive.  Phew... this Shakespeare has me coming and going.

Barb, I love the pics you choose for these sonnets.  You do a great job in bringing them into the poem. 

Sonnet LX

And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
   Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.

Shakespeare is seeing "Time" is not very nice.  In the end it destroys all, and yet his poem will withstand the test of time.  This poem made me a bit sad, it's a realization of there is no denying the end will come to each of us.   

I like pebbles as well, they seem like the babies of the rocks, mountains, boulders etc. 

[BarbStAubrey]

Thanks Bellamarie for noticing the headings - they are fun to do and trying to pick a photo based on some aspect of the Sonnet has made this an enjoyable project. What was even funnier with last night's mixup the youtube link was for 60 even if the Sonnet printed was for 55.

Yes, the end comes doesn't it - have not yet decided how I feel about it but regardless there is nothing I can do to accommodate the reality - Saw a wonderful version of Henry VIII and Ann on PBS tonight that showed at that stage in life he was a tall, good looking, athletic, man rather than, the aging overweight painting we see duplicated so often and there was a real passionate love between them - It looks like from all their research it was gossip that did her in along with some major losses to Henry's image - the part that is difficult - regardless taken to a tower or today, a jail or for many elders, a hospital with no idea it will be permanent and 10 days later you are dead - to me that would be the worst scenario. 

[BarbStAubrey]

Shakespeare Sonnet LXI

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 tenor 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.

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 61
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT_SqW6yeMc

[bellamarie]

Sonnet LXI

Is it thy will thy image should keep open
My heavy eyelids to the weary night?

To play the watchman ever for thy sake:

I'm not sure who Shakespeare is speaking about in this sonnet, if it is his lost youthful love, or even a child of his. Regardless, he is having sleepless nights. This sonnet reminds me of how I felt when my children were teenagers in high school or college, and out with friends.  I could not sleep at night for wondering about where they were, and if they were okay.  Staying out of mischief. 

[BarbStAubrey]

That is what I see as well Bellamarie - and yes, it too reminded me of when my children were teens and actually if they were facing some big issue as adults - there were many a restless night -

these are the lines that speak to me - lots of folks fit for me the description of my own true love including a few very good friends.

Mine own true love that doth my rest defeat,
To play the watchman ever for thy sake:

More rain and babying myself with lots of naps today - throat scratchy and eyes all watery - I am sure it is allergies that you would think the rain would wash away but one of my biggies is mold and the mold spurs I bet are as high as can be with all this rain. Would like to spend the evening reading but my eyes won't let me - hate filling my body up with meds but I may just have to succumb. Hah - I guess if this is all I have to complain about I am pretty lucky - watery eyes, oh my what a catastrophe

[bellamarie]

I am dealing with itchy eyes, dripping nose and scratchy throat, I am certain is allergies.  Until this summer I have never been diagnosed with allergies.  They wreck havoc on my eyes, not to mention I have dry eyes as well.   Our humidity & heat has been so constant lately I can't go out and appreciate my beautiful flowers.  My daughter lives in Port Richey, Florida and it seems the hurricane watch is going to include her area.  She is about 3 miles from the ocean so she may get some bad weather.  So I'll keep vigil for the next few days for her.

[BarbStAubrey]

It is hurricane season isn't it - forgot about that - I think it lasts till November - hope your daughter's experience with the storm is not too bad.

Last day of August today - not actually the last day of summer but September seems to say a new season - We have a happy accident with our timing on reading these Sonnets - it appears that Sonnet 73 is about the Fall of the year and our next read is Sonnet 62 - so next week, just about right for most areas of the country I should think - we will still be in mid-summer simply with a redder afternoon and evening sun and longer shadows but everything will be as summer.

[BarbStAubrey]

Last post for the page- do not want to put our Sonnet on this last post - it gets lost trying to refer to it when we share our thoughts and feelings - found another poem written by Shakespeare that not only fits his thoughts on time and lifespan but perfectly fits with our recent Sonnets - so for your pleasure, a nice read and then we'll go on - the Sonnet for the day is on the next page.

Fear no more the heat o' the sun; Nor the furious winter's rages, Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages; Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney sweepers come to dust. Fear no more the frown of the great, Thou art past the tyrant's stroke: Care no more to clothe and eat; To thee the reed is as the oak: The sceptre, learning, physic, must All follow this, and come to dust. Fear no more the lightning-flash, Nor the all-dread thunder-stone; Fear not slander, censure rash; Thou hast finished joy and moan; All lovers young, all lovers must Consign to thee, and come to dust. No exorciser harm thee! Nor no witchcraft charm thee! Ghost unlaid forbear thee! Nothing ill come near thee! Quiet consummation have; And renowned be thy grave!