3 Overwhelming Love Sonnets By Shakespeare For His Dark Lady
When we talk about Shakespeare, we think of his globally renowned Romeo and Juliet. His celestial sonnets and all the plays we read in school. But Shakespeare love poems, specifically his sonnets were the ones that got us drooling over the idea of falling in love. Gazing at the stars and dreaming of love. Treading the pebbled roads hoping to find love. But often we make the wrong turn and fall head over heels in love with somebody who is nothing but a lie in our lives. And every night we cry to sleep, lamenting why did this ever happen to us. Just like that Shakespeare too had taken a wrong turn in his love life when he fell in love with a mysterious woman whom he called the ‘Dark Lady.’ She was a beauty and apparently oozed sexual charm, with ebony black hair and raven black eyes. Shakespeare’s sonnets are considered as the most romantic lyrics to a song mankind can ever create in this lifetime. But below are three sonnets, so overwhelming, that will just make us cry.
1. Sonnet 137- Thou Blind Fool Love
This is one of those Shakespeare love poems in which Shakespeare is questioning himself. He personifies Love and calls him a blind fool. And questions him about what he has done to his eyes. For Shakespeare can look but can’t see the truth because of Love. His eyes know what beauty is and where it can be found. But Love makes Shakespeare find beauty in the worst. Shakespeare wonders if his eyes got seduced by flirtatious glances and got attracted by a woman’s sexual charms. Then why did Love forge a link between these misleading impressions and his heart? Shakespeare continues to wonder about how could he think that she was only his, but when in his heart he knew she was every man’s. And how did his eyes deny the truth, and make him believe in what was never true? In the end Shakespeare laments that his heart and his eyes had mistaken falsehood for truth. And that they were now owned by a deceitful woman whom he deeply loved.
2. Sonnet 138: When My Love Swears That She Is Made Of Truth
In this sonnet, Shakespeare sheds light on his relationship with his mistress that is without any affection or trust. And that they are in a relationship based on mutual deception. He says that when his mistress swears that she speaks the truth, he says to her that he believes her for she will not think that he’s an old fool, but instead a young naive man who is ignorant of the ways and wonders, and complexities of this world. But Shakespeare knows it in his heart that she is nothing but a liar. Although Shakespeare’s prime days are far behind him, to satisfy his vanity, he hopes that his mistress thinks that he is young. This is why he has no objections with her lying as both have tried and attempted to conceal the truth from one another. Shakespeare wonders about why does his mistress lie so much? And why can’t he tell her that he is no longer young and naive? Then he gives up and says that it is for them to pretend to trust each other as he doesn’t like his age to be pointed at him. And their journey of love continues as he lies to her and she lies to him. They are happy with their perfect imperfections as they flatter each other with their lies. One of the Shakespeare love poems that will resonate with couples for generations still.
[ Read more: 5 Prodigious Pablo Neruda Love Poems ]
3. Sonnet 147- My Love Is A Fever Longing Still
This is another one of the timeless, classic William Shakespeare poems on love where Shakespeare compares his love to fever that constantly craves for things that led to his illness. His love craves for things that prolong the cure of his fever. His reasons, whom he calls the doctor of love, is angry at Shakespeare for not following the directions prescribed to him. This doctor of love has left Shakespeare alone. And now Shakespeare feels abandoned, and thinks he is dying, and regrets not listening to his doctor. For his medicines could have saved his life. Shakespeare is now in a stage where no medicine can cure him. No reason can save him. He now feels frantic, restless and worrisome. He angrily expresses that his thoughts and words are like a madman expressing nonsense. He had sworn that his love was a fair beauty and was as bright as day, only to realize later that she was black as hell and dark as night. Love poems by Shakespeare? Not merely insightful, altogether too real.
