Sonnet 131
1. Thou art as tyrannous, so as thou art,
2. As those whose beauties proudly make them cruel;
3. For well thou know'st to my dear doting heart
4. Thou art the fairest and most precious Jewel.
5. Yet in good faith, some say that thee behold,
6. Thy face hath not the power to make love groan;
7. To say they err, I dare not be so bold,
8. Although I swear it to myself alone.
9. And to be sure that is not false I swear
10. A thousand groans but thinking on thy face,
11. One on another's neck do witness bear
12. Thy black is fairest in my judgment's place.
13. In nothing art thou black save in thy deeds,
14. And thence this slander as I think proceeds.
Thy Black this Slander
Dedication: To Elizabeth
Oxford chiding Elizabeth for being unjust, while at the same time telling her that she is treasured and praised by him. Explaining of how others speak of her having lost her beauty which he himself thinks wrong. And thus alluding to that beauty which she keeps. Offering her that his only cause for disfavor are these particular deeds of her's which the poet feels justified in suggesting how they are thus worthy of her slander.
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Starting off explaining to Elizabeth that she is tyrannical even while she is treasured. Playing on the word “art” as both noun and verb in line 1. Expresses that even while evil she is still treasured. But also telling her is both as those and is one of those “whose beauties proudly make them cruel”. For which he is alluding to Henry as being the beauty which will be seen in sonnets to come. Oxford then, chiding Elizabeth all the while speaking his devotion and praise of her. I can only ask who else but royalty would get this kind of praise in spite of such a wrong?
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
Oxford pointing out Elizabeth's waning beauty, mostly likely in reminding her of her age and her infertility.
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
Line 11 is likely both a comment on the subjugation of Henry and a more general comment on her power and the "love groan's" she presumably inspires are the result of this, i.e. not her beauty. Mere appeals to her vanity as men will swear otherwise to please her. While line 11, a clear illustration of the predicament and vulnerability that a particular other (Henry) is experiencing.
couplet (13-14),
Finally to say that her only evil is this thing that she does, and thus the reason for his insults. We are deep into the Dark Lady sonnets but she is only dark metaphorically.
Commentary:
The first confusing two lines express to Elizabeth that she is as tyrannous “as those whose beauties proudly make them cruel” or cruel as one who posses beauty. Beauty a representation of Henry and her own beauty. However since Elizabeth posses possesses Henry she posses beauty, though her essence is beauty as well. This likely reflects a beginning of the shifting of beauty which was previously Elizabeth in 132 and will become Henry in sonnets to come. Additionally though there is likely a further meaning which is expressed by the “so as thou art”. Reflecting on Henry as a reflection of Elizabeth to which being art as in a portrait which will also become a much larger theme.
This sonnet also goes on to become probably the most damning of the “Dark Lady’ sonnets. Which should be viewed as the culmination of a brewing anger and frustration which is born of the relatively early stage of the struggle he to which he has been confronted. That this anger and slander is expressed in such a raw way I believe shows a development of the poet’s psychological state and thus an indication of the progress of time. Also while slander first appears in 140 it is now full blown. However more importantly in sonnets to follow, it will be important to see the continuation of the main source of discontent continues to run through this series. And thus to understand what has inspired such vitriol aimed at the subject. In addition the argument of the poet that the subject is still the "fairest and most precious jewel” might be more insightfully viewed in light of what the poet does not say, that the subject is the poet’s object of love for whom he also make his argument. An unselfish continuation of her and her beauty. As will been seen in sonnets to come.
Vendler reads the poem as expressing to the subject that she is beautiful and fair, “even if you are a brunette”. She asks, “What, can we reasonably ask, would be the speaker’s motive for saying this to the lady?” Her answer is that somehow if she treats him better the world will find her more attractive. She claims, “the motivation of the poem is: Please stop being so cruel to me”. I would argue conversely that the motivation is to point out the evil that Elizabeth commits against Oxford, the references to cruelty are only a means of expressing the extent of the evil. Vendler completely neglects to connect the source of the poet’s anger to the many sonnets that have expressed it. Which is very likely the result of reading the sonnets in the wrong order. Hopefully reading them correctly has shown that there is something clearly alluded to. That is the basis for the poet’s anger, frustration, madness, and now slander.
KDJ astutely observes that the subject is black in behavior.