1. Thine eyes I love, and they as pitying me,
2. Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,
3. Have put on black and loving mourners be,
4. Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
5. And truly not the morning Sun of Heaven
6. Better becomes the grey cheeks of the East,
7. Nor that full Star that ushers in the Even
8. Doth half that glory to the sober West
9. As those two morning eyes become thy face:
10. O let it then as well beseem thy heart
11. To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,
12. And suit thy pity like in every part.
13. Then will I swear beauty herself is black,
14. And all they foul that thy complexion lack.
Her Disdain
Dedication: To Elizabeth
Expressing contempt for Elizabeth's pity toward him and of the compassion she express to his pain. Countering that she should be looking on the "morning sun of heaven" i.e. an appreciation for her son. He then explains that this "sun" will bring metaphorical cheer to the East (as he rises) and tells of the same for the West. Finishing by providing that Elizabeth is “black”, thus she is sinister and wicked for having committed this act.
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Oxford expressing disdain for the pity expressed in his favor.
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
Stating that her pity certainly isn't commensurate with the crime or fully appreciating the loss. "Son of Heaven" is the way it appears originally in line 5 and this is a pun on Son. While line 7 alludes to Venus and deliberately the apt reference as she again was Venus to his Adonis.
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
Continuing on as the heavens should pity and mourn for him as Elizabeth does. Clearly punning on morning/mourning as the spellings are distinct from usage in line 11.
couplet (13-14),
Finally seemingly playing on the notion of black also embodied in both Elizabeth and her sycophants as they support her evil decision while also being of much fairer complexion.
Commentary:
This sonnets speaks of the metaphorical death of Henry and Elizabeth’s indifference to the pain it has inflicted on Oxford. Metaphorical death is something that Shakespeare understood well as he wrote "The Phoenix and the Turtle" (Dove) to represent Elizabeth's metaphorical death after the Essex Rebellion. When there was no hope of her succession and her continuation in the Tudor line. Elizabeth was the metaphorical Phoenix precisely because she had the capability to virtually rise up from nothing while Henry was unknown. I would also offer that the symbolism also employed with pelicans was also of a political nature and meant to provide a greater self-sacrifice and nurturing of her concealed offspring.
The central revelation is that this is clearly a dark lady sonnet but should also be seen as very much a continuation of the same theme of arguing for her darkness based on the wrong she has committed, not any general non specific evil she possesses and certainly not based on any physical characteristics she possesses. This sonnet uses the metaphor of astronomical arguments to make the case for the recognition of Henry and thus represents the purpose for much of the imagery. This sonnet embodies the development of the sun metaphor which was first seen very subtly in 148 and will come again in 130.
The phrase in line 2, "And yet methinks I have astronomy" I would argue is a play on the symbolism of the proper regard with which the Sun and the Moon specifically are in proper orientations. And this is thus not actually a reflection on astrology. A distinction understood and in evidence by Simon Forman.
Important development in line 5 is the connection of the Sun of Heaven with Henry, establishing a more clear Sun/son homonym as metaphor. In addition the usage of a star to give the face two eyes will play a role in the metaphor later as well. Readers might also see how frequent sun references are in Shakespeare and clearly work as symbolism with respect to this reading.
With respect to line 9 and the spellings of morning/mourning, though the spelling were apparently interchangeable at this time. It should be abundantly clear each is used usage here is intended. And that the "morning" instance of line 9 is a clear reflection of the sun. While and the mourning usages are clearly reflective of an expression of grief. And further since the second usage of line 11 is "mourning", we should be sure of the intended message that reflects on the message that the sun is creating.
This sonnet also establishes the potential for Elizabeth to be “black”. A concept which will take a more explicit and certain form in the next sonnet. But also appears to offer a clue to the transition of Henry who will become the personification of beauty. And for whom it will often become a proper noun. But while it is difficult to believe Oxford might make this slander on Queen Elizabeth, it should be apparent at least that this context fits and that there is perhaps an even greater sense of diminishing her in the expression of Henry as the greater shining object.
Vendler correctly characterizes that the poet expresses that his straight plea will have no effect on the woman. Appealing only to herself interest is the poet’s best chance. This analysis should be explored in greater depth, as virtually the whole of the sonnets is an expression of pleading and appealing to the best of the subject and surely what the poet hopes the subject will interpret as her self interest.
KDJ – further elaborating the conceit of the mistress as both black and cruel
Note:
Simon Forman's casebooks are available here.