Sonnet 24 by William Shakespeare | Sonnet 24 | William Shakespeare | Explanation | Summary | Word Meaning | Questions Answers | Critical Appreciation | Free PDF Download – Easy Literary Lessons
Sonnet 24
Mine eye hath played the painter and hath stell’d
Mine eye hath played the painter and hath stell’d,
Thy beauty’s form in table of my heart;
My body is the frame wherein ’tis held,
And perspective that is best painter’s art.
For through the painter must you see his skill,
To find where your true image pictured lies,
Which in my bosom’s shop is hanging still,
That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes.
Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done:
Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me
Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun
Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;
Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art,
They draw but what they see, know not the heart.
Sonnet 24 by William Shakespeare: YouTube Link
Shakespeare sonnet 24 Analysis
Mine eye hath played the painter and hath stell’d,
Thy beauty’s form in table of my heart;
Explanation
The speaker declares that his eye has acted like a painter, meticulously stell’d (fixed or engraved) the form of the beloved’s beauty onto the table (canvas) of his heart.
Poetic devices
Metaphor: “Eye as painter” and “heart as canvas” create vivid imagery and convey the depth of the speaker’s love.
Personification: “Eye hath played” gives human qualities to the eye, emphasizing its active role in capturing the beloved’s essence.
Alliteration: The repetition of “t” sounds in “table” and “thy” adds a melodic touch and reinforces the connection between the heart and the image.
My body is the frame wherein ’tis held,
And perspective that is best painter’s art.
Explanation
Continuing the metaphor, the speaker likens his body to a frame that holds the image. The “perspective” is emphasized as the best form of the painter’s art, suggesting that the speaker’s viewpoint or way of seeing is crucial in capturing the essence of the beloved’s beauty.
Poetic Device
Metaphor: “Body as frame” and “love as perspective” extend the gallery imagery and highlight the speaker’s active role in shaping his perception of the beloved.
For through the painter must you see his skill,
To find where your true image pictured lies,
Which in my bosom’s shop is hanging still,
That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes.
Explanation
The speaker urges the beloved to appreciate the skill of the “painter,” which is the speaker’s eye. The true image of the beloved is said to be in the speaker’s “bosom’s shop,” emphasizing the depth and intimacy of the emotion. The phrase “windows glazed with thine eyes” suggests that the speaker’s emotions are transparent and can be seen through the beloved’s eyes.
Poetic Device
Metaphor: The speaker continues the metaphor of the painter, expressing that through the painter (his eye), the beloved must witness the skill and find where her true image is depicted.
Personification: The speaker’s bosom is described as a shop, giving it human-like qualities, and the windows are glazed with the beloved’s eyes, suggesting the transparency of emotions.
Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done:
Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me
Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun
Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;
Explanation
The speaker celebrates the reciprocal nature of their relationship. His eyes have captured the beloved’s shape, and their eyes in turn offer him a way to see into his own heart, where the sun (a symbol of illumination and warmth) finds joy in gazing upon the beloved. The sun symbolizes warmth and illumination, suggesting that the beloved’s gaze brings light and delight to the speaker’s heart.
Poetic Device
Metaphor: The eyes are metaphorically described as windows to the speaker’s breast, allowing the sun to symbolically represent the warmth of affection and illumination to enter and gaze upon the beloved.
Personification: sun delights to peep
Enjambment
Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art,
They draw but what they see, know not the heart.
Explanation
The speaker acknowledges the limitations of the eyes. While appreciating their skill (“cunning”), he points out that eyes can only draw what they see and are unable to comprehend the depths of the heart. The line emphasizes the contrast between the external observation of beauty and the internal, emotional complexity that lies within the heart.
Poetic devices
Irony: The speaker acknowledges the skill of the eyes but points out their limitation, using irony to convey that despite their cunning, eyes can only draw what they see and are unable to perceive the depths of the heart.
Personification: Eyes are ascribed the desire (“want”) to enhance their art, implying a sense of yearning for a deeper understanding.
