Sonnet 43
When most I winke then doe mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected,
But when I sleepe, in dreames they looke on thee,
And darkely bright, are bright in darke directed.
Then thou whose shaddow shaddowes doth make bright,
How would thy shadowes forme, forme happy show,
To the deere day with thy much cleerer light,
When to un-seeing eyes thy shade shines so?
How would (I say) mine eyes be blessed made,
By looking on thee in the living day?
When in dead night their faire imperfect shade,
Through heavy sleepe on sightlesse eyes doth stay?
All dayes are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright daies when dreams do shew thee me.
Commentary
Address to an absent friend
In the first quatrain, the poet notes that he only sees well at night when he dreams of his young friend.
In the second quatrain, the poet wonders how much brighter the young friend would be during the day time, if he were to see him.
In the third quatrain, the poet repeats how much better he would see his young friend if he saw him by day.
In the final couplet, the poet repeats the idea that his days are nights and his nights days when he does not see his young friend.