Sonnet 23 by William Shakespeare | Sonnet 23 | As an unperfect actor on the stage | Explanation | Summary | Key Points | William Shakespeare | Word Meaning | Questions Answers | Critical Appreciation | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons
Sonnet 23
As an unperfect actor on the stage
As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put beside his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,
O’ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might.
O! let my looks be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
More than that tongue that more hath more express’d.
O! learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.
Sonnet 23 by William Shakespeare: YouTube Link
Sonnet 23 by William Shakespeare Analysis
As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put beside his part,
Explanation
The speaker compares himself to a nervous actor who forgets his lines due to stage fright. Just as the actor is overcome by fear and can’t perform his role, the speaker is overwhelmed by his love and can’t express it properly.
Poetic devices
Simile: “As an unperfect actor on the stage” compares the speaker’s inability to express his love to the performance anxiety of an actor.
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;
Explanation
The speaker comparing himself to a wild beast overflowing with rage. Just as the beast’s excessive rage weakens it, the speaker’s intense love weakens his ability to speak.
Poetic Device
Metaphor: “Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage” compares the speaker’s overwhelming love to a raging beast, emphasizing its intensity and destructive potential.
Paradox: The idea that the abundance of strength weakens the heart creates a paradox, highlighting the internal conflict within the speaker.
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
Explanation
Due to his fear of trusting and revealing his love, the speaker forgets the proper words and rituals to express his feelings. He feels paralyzed by his own emotions.
Poetic Device
Enjambment: The continuation of the sentence from the first quatrain contributes to the sonnet’s smooth flow. The enjambment emphasizes the continuity of the speaker’s thought.
Alliteration: The repetition of the “f” sound in “fear of trust” and “forget to say” creates a melodic and rhythmic effect.
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,
O’ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might.
Explanation
The speaker paradoxically feels like he is decaying and weakening even amidst the strength of his love. The abundance of his love becomes a burden that prevents him from expressing it freely.
Poetic Device
Paradox: The speaker suggests that in the strength of his own love, he appears to decay, presenting a paradoxical idea.
Personification: love’s strength, love’s might.
O! let my looks be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Explanation
The speaker pleads with his beloved to read his love in his silent gaze instead of relying on his faltering words. He believes his eyes speak louder than his tongue.
Poetic devices
Apostrophe: The exclamation “O!” is an apostrophe, expressing the speaker’s emotional intensity.
Personification: The speaker’s looks are personified as “eloquence” and “dumb presagers,” suggesting that his expressions can communicate without words.
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
More than that tongue that more hath more express’d.
Explanation
He claims that his eyes, pleading for love and seeking reciprocation, are more eloquent than any spoken words. Their silent expression surpasses even the most verbose declarations of love.
Poetic devices
Personification: Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
Alliteration: love, look.
O! learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.
Explanation
The speaker exhorts his beloved to learn the language of silent love, where understanding comes through the eyes, not the ears. This “fine wit” of love requires a different kind of intelligence, one that goes beyond mere words.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit” compares understanding love through sight to a refined intelligence, elevating the act to a special skill.
Apostrophe: The repetition of “O!” continues the emotional tone, urging the reader to pay attention.
Alliteration: The repetition of the “l” sound in “learn to read” and ” love hath writ ” contributes to the sonnet’s musicality.
