Sonnet 146 by William Shakespeare Analysis
Line 1: Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth,
Explanation
This line introduces the poem’s central theme: the conflict between the soul’s spiritual aspirations and the body’s base desires. The soul is described as the “centre” of the “sinful earth,” highlighting its imprisonment within the body.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Sinful earth” is a metaphor for the body, emphasizing its connection to sin and mortality.
Personification: The soul is personified as a being trapped within the body.
Line 2: [….. ] these rebel powers that thee array,
Explanation
This line continues the metaphor of the body as “sinful earth” and introduces the concept of “rebel powers” that “array” the soul. These powers can be interpreted as the body’s senses, desires, and passions, which often lead people astray from spiritual pursuits.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Rebel powers” is a metaphor for the body’s senses, desires, and passions.
Personification: The soul is again personified as being acted upon by the “rebel powers.”
Line 3: Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth,
Explanation
This line asks the soul why it suffers “dearth” despite being the “centre” of the body. This suggests that the soul yearns for something beyond the material world, something that the body cannot provide.
Poetic devices
Personification: The soul is personified as being able to feel “pine” and “dearth.” Metaphor: “Suffer dearth” is a metaphor for the soul’s lack of spiritual nourishment.
Line 4: Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?
Explanation
This line contrasts the soul’s inner suffering with the body’s outward appearance. The body is described as being “costly gay,” suggesting that it is adorned with wealth and beauty. This creates a sense of irony, as the soul suffers while the body is pampered.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Outward walls” is a metaphor for the body.
Hyperbole: “Costly gay” is an exaggeration of the body’s outward appearance. Irony: There is irony in the contrast between the soul’s suffering and the body’s beauty.
Line 5: Why so large cost, having so short a lease,
Explanation
This line questions the point of spending so much on the body, which is ultimately temporary. The “short lease” refers to the brevity of human life, reminding us that our time on earth is limited.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Short lease” is a metaphor for the brevity of human life.
Rhetorical question: The line is a rhetorical question that doesn’t require an answer, but rather serves to make the speaker’s point about the futility of focusing on the material world.
Line 6: Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?
Explanation
This line continues the metaphor of the body as a “fading mansion,” emphasizing its impermanence. The speaker asks the soul why it would waste resources on something that will eventually decay.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: ” fading mansion” is a metaphor for the human body.
Line 7: Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,
Explanation
This line introduces the unpleasant reality of death. The speaker asks the soul if it wants “worms” to inherit the “excess” spent on the body. This serves as a stark reminder of the futility of materialism and the importance of focusing on the soul’s well-being.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Worms” is a metaphor for death and decay.
Rhetorical question: The line is a rhetorical question used to emphasize the speaker’s point.
Line 8: Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body’s end?
Explanation
This line continues the focus on death and asks the soul if it is content with its body’s eventual decay. The speaker challenges the soul to consider whether this is the true purpose of its existence.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Charge” is a metaphor for the soul’s responsibility for its own well- being.
Rhetorical question: The line is a rhetorical question used to further emphasize the speaker’s point.
Line 9: Then soul, live thou upon thy servant’s loss
Explanation
This line marks a shift in tone as the speaker offers a solution to the dilemma. The speaker encourages the soul to “live” by accepting the body’s decline, and even by using it to its advantage.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Servant” is a metaphor for the body.
Personification: The soul is personified as being able to “live” and “lose.”
Line 10: And let that pine to aggravate thy store;
Explanation
This line continues the idea of the soul benefiting from the body’s decline. The speaker encourages the soul to allow the body’s suffering to “aggravate its store,” meaning to increase its spiritual wealth.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Store” is a metaphor for the soul’s spiritual wealth.
Personification: The soul is again personified, this time as being able to “pine” and “store.”
Line 11: Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Explanation
This line offers a metaphorical exchange: the soul can purchase “terms divine,” meaning spiritual rewards, by “selling hours of dross,” meaning worldly pursuits. This emphasizes the importance of prioritizing spiritual matters over material ones.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Terms divine” is a metaphor for spiritual rewards, and “hours of dross” is a metaphor for worldly pursuits.
Antithesis: The contrasting terms “divine” and “dross” emphasize the speaker’s message.
Line 12: Within be fed, without be rich no more.
Explanation
This line summarizes the speaker’s advice. The soul should seek nourishment from within, through spiritual pursuits, and no longer seek wealth or satisfaction from the outside world.
Poetic devices
Parallelism: The repetition of the phrase “be” creates a sense of balance and reinforces the speaker’s message.
Antithesis: The contrasting terms “within” and “without” highlight the importance of focusing on the inner world.
Line 13: So shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,
Explanation
This line builds on the previous line’s emphasis on seeking inner nourishment. Here, the speaker suggests that the soul can “feed on Death” itself, meaning it can use the inevitability of death as a motivator to pursue spiritual growth. This challenges the traditional fear of death and presents it as an opportunity for the soul to achieve its true potential.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Feed on Death” is a metaphor for using the inevitability of death as a motivator for spiritual growth.
Personification: Both Death and the soul are personified as beings that can “feed” on each other.
Line 14: And, Death once dead, there’s no more dying then.
Explanation
This final line concludes the poem with a powerful message of hope and redemption. By “feeding on Death,” the soul can transcend the cycle of death and rebirth, achieving a state of eternal life. This provides a sense of comfort and reassurance in the face of mortality.
Poetic devices
Paradox: The statement “Death once dead” is a paradox, as death is usually seen as an end. However, in the context of the poem, it suggests the possibility of overcoming death through spiritual growth.
Metaphor: “Death once dead” can be interpreted as a metaphor for the soul’s liberation from the fear of death.
Repetition: The repetition of the word “death” emphasizes its importance in the poem’s message.
Sonnet 146 by William Shakespeare Summary
Sonnet 146 by William Shakespeare reflects on the internal and external struggles of the human soul. The speaker addresses the soul as the “centre of my sinful earth,” suggesting a profound connection between the soul and the speaker’s earthly, sinful existence. The sonnet explores the theme of inner conflict, questioning why the soul suffers and pines within while adorning its outward appearance with costly embellishments.
The speaker challenges the soul’s choices, criticizing the investment in outward appearances with the use of the phrase “Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?” The mention of a “fading mansion” and a “short lease” implies the transient nature of physical life and the brevity of human existence.
The poet introduces a vivid metaphor, describing worms as “inheritors of this excess,” symbolizing the inevitable decay of the body after death. The speaker questions the wisdom of expending so much effort and resources on the physical body, which will eventually succumb to the ravages of time and decay.
In the second quatrain, the speaker advises the soul to live off the losses suffered by the body, allowing the physical self to deteriorate while preserving the soul’s well-being. The suggestion is to focus on spiritual wealth rather than material wealth, urging the soul to invest in “terms divine” instead of spending time on fleeting and insignificant pursuits.
The concluding couplet emphasizes the idea that by embracing spiritual nourishment, the soul can transcend death. The speaker suggests that by feeding on “Death, that feeds on men,” the soul can achieve a form of immortality. The final line, “And, Death once dead, there’s no more dying then,” implies that by conquering the fear of death and transcending worldly concerns, the soul can achieve a state beyond mortality.
In Sonnet 146, Shakespeare delves into existential and metaphysical themes, using rich imagery and metaphor to explore the tension between the physical and spiritual aspects of human existence.
Key Points
Author: William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most important English-language writers. His plays and poems are read all over the world.
Form: Sonnet 146 is a sonnet, a fourteen-line poem that is contained within one stanza. The form that has become synonymous with the poet’s name. The English or Shakespearean sonnet is made up of three quatrains, or sets of four lines, and one concluding couplet, or set of two rhyming lines.
Speaker: The speaker of the poem is an individual who is reflecting on the relationship between his soul and body. This character could be a representation of Shakespeare himself, or a fictional persona.
Setting: The setting of the poem is not specific to a physical location. It’s more of an introspective exploration of the speaker’s inner self.
Theme: The main themes of the poem are immortality and sin. The speaker is aware that his focus on the physical world has led him away from spiritual health.
Plot: The speaker begins by addressing his soul, questioning why it allows him to be so concerned with earthly pleasures and external appearances. He then urges his soul to focus on spiritual health, suggesting that by doing so, it can conquer death and achieve immortality.
Tone: The tone of the poem is introspective and admonishing. The speaker is self- critical, expressing regret for his preoccupation with the physical world and urging his soul to focus on spiritual matters.
Style: Shakespeare’s style in this sonnet is characterized by his use of metaphor and personification. He refers to the body as a “fading mansion” and speaks to his soul as if it were a separate entity.
Message: The message of the poem is a moral one: the speaker suggests that focusing on the physical world and earthly pleasures can lead one away from spiritual health. He proposes that by focusing on the soul and spiritual matters, one can conquer death and achieve immortality.
Structure and Rhyme Scheme
Structure
The structure of Sonnet 146 follows the typical structure of a Shakespearean sonnet. It is composed of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final couplet (two-line stanza). The quatrains often introduce a problem or question, while the couplet provides a resolution or answer.
Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This means that the first and third lines of each quatrain rhyme with each other (A and C, D and F), as do the second and fourth lines (B and D, E and G). The final couplet (GG) also rhymes.
This structure and rhyme scheme are characteristic of Shakespeare’s sonnets and are part of what gives them their musicality and emotional impact.
Word Meaning
| Line | Tough Word | Meaning in English |
| 1 | soul | spirit |
| 1 | sinful | morally wrong |
| 2 | rebel powers | forces that oppose authority |
| 2 | thee | archaic or dialect form of you |
| 2 | array | to dress or decorate |
| 3 | dost | archaic second person singular present of “do” |
| 3 | thou | archaic or dialect form of you |
| 3 | pine | to suffer intensely |
| 3 | dearth | scarcity |
| 4 | costly gay | expensive and cheerful |
| 5 | lease | temporary right to use something (Short Time) |
| 6 | thy | your |
| 6 | fading mansion | decaying house (Decaying Body) |
| 7 | inheritors | people who receive something after someone dies |
| 8 | charge | responsibility |
| 9 | servant | person who works for someone else (Human Body) |
| 10 | aggravate | Induce |
| 10 | store | a supply of something |
| 11 | terms divine | spiritual rewards |
| 11 | dross | worthless material |
| 12 | fed | nourished |
| 13 | feed | to consume |
