Sonnet 29

This study guide will help you analyze the poem “Sonnet 29” by William Shakespeare. You can also find a summary of the poem, as well as ideas for interpreting it and putting it into perspective.

Presentation of the poem

Title: “Sonnet 29” (1609)
Author: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is one of the most famous English playwrights and poets who ever lived. Surprisingly little is known about his life. He was born in 1564 in England, and before his death in 1613 he wrote at least 37 plays and a large number of poems.

In 1609, Shakespeare published a now-famous collection of 154 sonnets (fourteen-line love poems written according to a strict format of rhyme and rhythm). The first 126 poems are addressed to a “fair youth” (probably an attractive young man) and the rest are addressed to a “dark lady”. It is thought that Shakespeare wrote the sonnets in the 1590s and early 1600s.

Summary

William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 29” starts by stating the speaker's despair and dissatisfaction with his life. The speaker states that he is unhappy with his current situation in life as he is unlucky and alone. He believes that no one hears his cries, and so he curses his fate. The speaker longs to be more like others who are more fortunate and content, and his envy leads him to feel depressed and disheartened, even about the things he typically enjoys.

However, the speaker shifts his focus to his beloved and realizes that he is, in fact, fortunate to have someone who loves him. This realization makes the speaker feel hopeful and content, and he is once more grateful for what he has.

More help

In our topic guide on William Shakespeare and his texts in general, you can find a lot of information about how to analyze the texts. You can also read about Shakespeare's historical context (the Elizabethan era) and much, much more.

Engelsk

William Shakespeare

This topic guide gives you thorough knowledge about the famous English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. We give you a biography of him, explain the Elizabethan era, and offer a glossary of Shakespeare-related terms. We also explain how to analyze his plays, sonnets, dramatic devices, and language in general.

Here you can read an extract from the study guide:

The speaker personifies fortune in the first line of the poem, saying that he is "in disgrace with fortune" (l. 1). This personification creates a sense that fortune is an active force that has the power to influence the speaker's life, but chooses not to do so because the speaker has disgraced it.

The speaker also personifies heaven by saying it is “deaf” (l. 3) to his cries and pleas. In this way, the speaker likely indirectly refers to a higher power such as God, who he feels is indifferent to his despair and suffering.