Sonnet 112
1. Your love and pity doth the impression fill,
2. Which vulgar scandal stamp'd upon my brow,
3. For what care I who calls me well or ill,
4. So you ore-green my bad, my good allow?
5. You are my All the world, and I must strive,
6. To know my shames and praises from your tongue,
7. None else to me, nor I to none alive,
8. That my steel'd sense or changes right or wrong,
9. In so profound Abysm I throw all care
10. Of others' voices, that my Adder's sense
11. To critic and to flatterer stopped are;
12. Mark how with my neglect I do dispense.
13. You are so strongly in my purpose bred,
14. That all the world besides me thinks y’are dead.
My Purpose
Dedication: To Elizabeth
Indicative of Elizabeth's love and pity. And the probable necessary ostracism of him necessary to provide a means of weakening him and ensuring his inability to reveal the secret. Telling Elizabeth that none of this matters however and he only wishes to hear of his worth from her. Further telling her that though all the world thinks she is without an heir his mission for Henry's recognition is for her. Thus she is in his "purpose bred".
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Further elaborating that he as this casting has been stamped as well with scandal in line 2. Then expressing that thus he cares not what others think (since his substance is all that of Elizabeth’s feelings) in line 3. And in line 4 points out that he isn't concerned with his weaknesses are overplayed so long as Elizabeth is willing to allow his good (Henry).
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
Reiterating his eternal dedication to Elizabeth and his need to only know his faults and praises from her. And that he won’t change his behavior for others.
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
It matters not what others say of him, nor can he himself express criticism or praise because he is so thoroughly sucked into the chasm created by his consummate dedication.
couplet (13-14),
Then revealing that his mission of Henry’s recognition is for her in line 13, while none but him knows it in line 14 because to all the world Henry is unknown and she is metaphorically dead (without an heir).
Commentary:
Actually this sonnet seems somewhat ambiguous to me. Not entirely clear that is is not actually to Henry.
The point of the sonnet again is that Elizabeth is everything to Oxford and his devotion is such that his purpose is purely for her. To which he reveals that the substance of this devotion is manifested in the heir he has provided for her. This sonnet contains the clear allusions to the scandal the poet must endure which is likely a result of the conspiracy to conceal the truth told by these sonnets. The poem is of a confusing nature however and it is not exactly clear to whom it is addressed.
Though either Henry or Elizabeth could be considered to be “in his purpose bred”, such a line has little meaning unless there is both a successor and the poet has actually played a part in the conception of a child. This is a strong point of contrast to the orthodox and understanding which completely looses much of this meaning. It is the orthodoxy’s complete failure to understand that line 13 states the whole point of the sonnets. Even more significant is the revelation of the couplet which reveals that the subject is the poet’s purpose with the revealing usage of having been “bred” toward that purpose. And with the second notion that there is a revelation of a secret involving whether the subject “lives” or not.
Line 2 likely not useful for dating at least for Oxford. Scandal came early to him when he (likely accidently) killed a member of William Cecil's staff in 1567. Though likely as well it refers to multiple incidents. And likely thus after his Warwick Castle incident.
Line 4 bears a question in regard to not barring his good (Henry) by virtue of all of the things he admits reflect poorly on him. A similar question as mentioned was already made of Elizabeth in line 8 of 150. This sonnet also of course also contains the autobiographical linkage to Oxford’s personal scandal as discussed previously.
Line 6 seems to reflect more than anything Elizabeth's identity. As Henry is still so very young and hardly expressing himself on a level appropriate for this line.
The upper case and even italic usage of Abysm and Adder of lines 9 and 11 are also quite interesting. The Abysm is possibly hell as Shakespeare used in Antony and Cleopatra (III, xiii). While the Adder is possibly a reference to the Biblical serpent responsible for the fall of man. While the sense reflects whether to flatter or not it also reflect his sense of her intentions likely.
Vendler states that You are so strongly in my purpose bred means “‘Your are so strongly incorporated in myself’ is probably no more tortured than other readings of the couplet”. To which I would have to mostly disagree, as I hope it is understood that the subject has actually been bred, and the resultant offspring is the very purpose in mind. She also believes, None else to me, nor I to none alive, is the same as saying, all the world besides me thinks th’re dead. Which is wrong on two counts, the first way is that the first is an expression that the poet is unknown. But also the second is actually a corrected version that which would say “Everyone thinks everyone is dead” instead of what the poet really says, which is “all the world thinks that you (the subject) are dead”. For all the world in fact did think Elizabeth was dead from the perspective of continuing her lineage. Vendler took the “liberty” as many editors have and changed the wording from “y’are” to “th’are”. These kind of “corrections” have helped to shroud the true meaning of the sonnets in this author’s opinion.