Sonnet 62 By Shakespeare

-The First quatrain focuses on superficial subjects, such as different parts of the body. The poet makes a direct confession that he has a sin which is "self-love".

-The Second quatrain develops narcissism, the idea of slef admiration and explifies that there is any face more beautiful than his own. "Methinks no face is as gracious as mine". He highly values himself and surpasses everyone in appearance and character.

-"Mine Account Define Surmount” as though, nothing could possibly outrank him

-“Indeed Antiquity Read Iniquity” implies that old age is something frowned upon, and all SHOULD avoid aging.

-Line 9 "But," transition denotes the reversal thought. By looking at himself in the mirror, he realizes how ugly because of old age and wrinkles.

-“Praise Days” since youth is the most valuable treasure. The poets partner became part of poets self by praising himself; he is praising his beloved who is the source of beauty in the poet's life.

-This separation of the last words emphasize the speaker’s initial narcissism.

- The last couplet turns the sonnet by declaring what used to be self love was actually the altruism of praising the beloved.

Quatrains and Couplet

Paraphrase

English Sonnets

The pattern of rhymes used in a poem, usually marked by letters to symbolize correspondences, as rhyme royal, ababbcc.

Modern Text

Sonnet 62

The speaker is overcome with self-love. He is so infatuated with his beauty, it is a sin that cannot be removed. Furthermore, his face is so gracious, no other could possibly surpass it, yet all he sees in the mirror is cracked aged skin. He admits that this self-love is a sin. However, he realizes that instead of self-love, it is love for his youthful lady. As they are lovers, their souls intertwine, and whatever beauty he sees in her, he sees in him as well.

Eye a

Part b

Remedy a

Heart b

Mine c

Account d

Define c

Surmount d

Indeed e

Antiquity f

Read e

Iniquity f

Praise g

Days g

The rhymes emphasize that the eye remedies because the part of the heart is mine and it defines by this account and so this will surmount and indeed I do read that antiquity is iniquity so I praise those days. In each quatrain Shakespeare uses rhymes to further reinforce the meaning that the superficial part of the body deteriorating which is not going to affect the person who's heart and eye sees the true beauty .

• Shakespearean sonnet
• 3 quatrains (four-lined stanzas)
• 1 couplet
• Rhyme scheme : abab cdcd efef gg
• “turn” of sonnet may be placed anywhere
• “turns” are commonly found in the last couplet

The sin of self-love controls everything I see, and my entire soul, and every part of me. There’s no way to get rid of this sin, it’s so deeply rooted in my heart. I think that no one’s face is as gracious as mine, no body so evenly proportioned, no one’s integrity of such high worth. I calculate my value such that I surpass everybody else in everything. But when my mirror shows me how I really look, beaten and cracked by age and the sun, I come to an opposite conclusion: For myself to love myself so much would be a sinful error. It’s you I’m praising when I praise myself, ornamenting my old age with the beauty of your youth.

Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye

And all my soul, and all my every part;

And for this sin there is no remedy,

It is so grounded inward in my heart.

Methinks no face so gracious is as mine,

No shape so true, no truth of such account;

And for myself mine own worth do define,

As I all other in all worths surmount.

But when my glass shows me myself indeed

Beated and chopp'd with tanned antiquity,

Mine own self-love quite contrary I read;

Self so self-loving were iniquity.

'Tis thee, myself, that for myself I praise,

Painting my age with beauty of thy days.

Background Information

This sonnet, as the rest of Shakespeare’s sonnets, was published in the early 1600s. Around this time was the Renaissance and the revival of classic literature. Shakespeare was one of the most compelling Elizabethan (Renaissance) writers, ranging from his poems to his plays that revolutionized theaters and its audience forever. The themes in Shakespeare’s sonnets range from love, lust, beauty, mortality/immortality, and death. Apart from that, most Elizabethan artists focused on humanistic values, which in essence revolved around self-truth and individual human emotions. Sonnet 62 is a perfect example of Elizabethan literature as it envelops humanistic values of individuality and self-truth through the speaker's self-love.

Theme:

--Love unites two entities in one

Though the speaker at the beginning sounds self-centered, he realizes that he’s disgusting. He is “beated [and] chopp’d.” His skin is old and “tanned with iniquity” like an old piece of leather dried up and wrinkled. In the couplet, however, he reveals that the beauty he sees in himself is rather the beauty in loving his lady. The reader witnesses the bond between lovers as the speaker admits “’Tis thee, myself” as though he and his lover are one and the same person. As lovers, their souls are intertwined. Therefore, whatever beauty he sees in her, he sees in himself as well, and while he’s praising his assets, he’s actually praising her.

--Love transpires into beauty

The speaker has “self-love” for all of his body. Because of this tremendous egotistic “self-love,” the speaker is deluded that he is physically beautiful. The speaker even believes that “no face so gracious is as [his].”

Towards the end, the speaker admits that it is not self-love that overcomes him. The beauty he speaks of is derived from the romance from his lover. “’Tis thee … that for myself I praise” Not only is his lover beautiful for her youth, she is beautiful as she is loved.

--The significance of superficial beauty.

Iambic Pentameter

Sin / OF / self- / LOVE / pos / SES / seth / ALL / mine / EYE

 10 syllables per line

 Has short/long/short/long … syllable sound

 Syllables are alternating unstressed and stressed

 Sounds more dramatic and formal than regular prose

 Creates a sense of rhythm; excites the reader’s senses

 Mimics the rhythm of heart

Diction:

--"Sin," "no remedy," "iniquity" emphasizes the crime in self-love, but

at the same time shows how deeply rooted the speaker is in himself.

--The numerous use of possessive pronouns like "me," "mine," "myself"

further shows the self-centered character of the speaker.

--The use of "Methinks" rather than "I think" provides not only a more dramatic effect but also that sense of self-centeredness. Plus it has the word"me" in it.

Sonnet 62 By Shakespeare

Figurative Language:

Structure

-Personification:

- "But when my glass shows me myself indeed Beated and chopp'd with tann'd antiquity"

- "Painting my age"

-"face so gracious"

The poet is "painting" an image that helps the reader understand that even though his "face is gracious" his skin is old and “tanned with iniquity” is like an old piece of leather dried up and wrinkled.

Presented by:

Sandra Sabas

Mee-Lai Alvarado

Rita Salazar

• third quatrain is the Volta
• last couplet has bigger impact
• reveals another implied character
• speaker is not so self-obsessed
• allows for sympathy, evokes genuine emotion
• shows that "love" redeems us all