Sonnet 36

Shakespeare Sonnet 36

By: Jennifer Lopez

Connotation

Shakespeare Sonnet 36

Let me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one.

So shall those blots that do with me remain

Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;

Nor thou with public kindness honor me,

Unless thou take that honor from thy name.

  But do not so; I love thee in such sort,

  As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

Twain: archaic term for two. Used to represent the speakers belief of how close him and his lover are.

Blots: a dark mark or stain, typically one made by ink, paint, or dirt. In this sonnet it is used to represent the speaker's dark sins and regrets.

Bewailed: express great regret, disappointment, or bitterness over (something). This word further emphasizes how the speaker expresses his distress over his underlying guilt.

Citations

Bennett, Kenneth. "Threading Shakespeare’s Sonnets." Campus Lake Forest. Lake Forest Edu., 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <http://campus.lakeforest.edu/kbennett/sonnets/entirebook.pdf>.

Edmondson, Paul, and Stanley Wells. "The Artistry of Shakespeare's Sonnets" and "Concerns of the Sonnets." Artemis Literary Sources. Oxford University Press, 1 Jan. 2004. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Benson, Ed. Sonia G., and Jennifer York. "The Sonnets of William Shakespeare." Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale, Cengage Learning, 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Shakespeare Sonnet 36

Let me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one.

So shall those blots that do with me remain

Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;

Nor thou with public kindness honor me,

Unless thou take that honor from thy name.

  But do not so; I love thee in such sort,

  As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

Supporting evidence

THEME

True Love overcomes all, even one's own selfish desires.

Let me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one.

So shall those blots that do with me remain

Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;

Nor thou with public kindness honor me,

Unless thou take that honor from thy name.

  But do not so; I love thee in such sort,

  As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

Paraphrase

Sonnet 36

Attitude

Visual Explanation

Sonnet Shift

Shakespeare Sonnet 36

Let me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one.

So shall those blots that do with me remain

Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;

Nor thou with public kindness honor me,

Unless thou take that honor from thy name.

  But do not so; I love thee in such sort,

  As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

The speaker must be patient yet strong while their love remains hopefully unshaken.

Must be strong/indure pain and keep to his own battles without the lover's help.

The speaker show respect but also a certain seperation. that even if it does not affect their love it takes away time from their love making.

The speaker cannot acknowledge his lover in fear that his guilt wil bring shame upon them.

Not to show kindness to him in public unless she wants his lovers name to be tainted.

The speaker tell his lover not to approach him or mind him, if his lovers reputation and future is bright then so is his because his love for him is too great.

This sonnets shift shows the alternation from the speaker dearly proclaiming his love to his significant other during the first half of the sonnet only to shift to a more understanding and resentful tone/attitude in the second half of the sonnet.

Shakespeare Sonnet 36

Let me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one.

So shall those blots that do with me remain

Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

Shift

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;

Nor thou with public kindness honor me,

Unless thou take that honor from thy name.

  But do not so; I love thee in such sort,

  As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

Shakespeare Sonnet 36

Let me confess that we two must be twain,

Although our undivided loves are one.

So shall those blots that do with me remain

Without thy help by me be borne alone.

In our two loves there is but one respect,

Though in our lives a separable spite,

Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect,

Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;

Nor thou with public kindness honor me,

Unless thou take that honor from thy name.

  But do not so; I love thee in such sort,

  As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

The painting represent the blooming, or soon to be maturing, of the speaker's lover who he does not want to tie down with his bad reputation and guilt. The sonnet's speaker decides to let his lover go in order for him to find his own path and sustain his good reputation instead of being shunned for being with or simply acknowledging the speaker.

"Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.

I may not evermore acknowledge thee,

Lest my bewailèd guilt should do thee shame;"

The speaker's attittide is downhearted since he shows feelings of resentment towards his ex-lover but is also accepting because he believes he is not worthy of his lover's love.