THOUGHTS FROM MADISON NEF
What is your substance, whereof are you made,
That millions of strange shadows on you tend?
Since every one hath, every one, one shade,
And you but one, can every shadow lend.
Describe Adonis, and the counterfeit
Is poorly imitated after you;
On Helen's cheek all art of beauty set,
And you in Grecian tires are painted new:
Speak of the spring, and foison of the year,
The one doth shadow of your beauty show,
The other as your bounty doth appear;
And you in every blessed shape we know.
In all external grace you have some part,
But you like none, none you, for constant heart.
My first thought upon reading this sonnet was that Shakespeare was mocking someone who felt they were perfect- “What is your substance, whereof are you made”. I translated into modern text, and that gave me a much clearer view of what I think he was trying to say. I’m not sure how religious Shakespeare was, but it sounded (at least in a modern version) like he was describing Jesus and questioning how he was so sinless and perfect. Here is the modern version:
What is your true essence, what are you made of, that there should be millions of reflections of you? Every person has only one image, but you, though you’re only one person, lend something to everyone else’s image. If an artist tries to depict Adonis, he’ll wind up creating an inferior imitation of you. If he were to paint
Helen as beautifully as possible, he would again wind up with a picture of you, decked out in Greek costume. Praise the spring and the abundant harvest season—but the spring is only a faint shadow of your beauty, and the fall a faint imitation of your abundance. We recognize you in every blessed sight that we see. You are part of every beautiful thing, but you’re not like any of them—you’re incomparable—in the constancy of your heart.
Line 1-5) Millions of reflections- Jesus/God can truly be seen in everything in the world, from the gorgeous landscaping to humans themselves. The seasons were created by him, but as depicted in the bible heaven is greater, therefore making the seasons just a mere shadow in his presence.
Line 5-7) God is in everything and everyone. He truly is part of every beautiful thing, but, as Shakespeare says, is incomparable to them in the constancy of his heart. The love and mercy of God and Jesus is incomparable to any beautiful thing or person here on Earth. I like that Shakespeare realized what so many of us overlook in our everyday lives… God could erase our existence at any minute. He created our world, and at any point could take it away.
You really have to read the modern version to understand the sonnet, which is why I am so thankful for the internet. I thought that Shakespeare was mocking someone who thought they were better than everyone else at first glance at the original. Maybe he was, and I just didn’t see it- or maybe the translation was biased. Either way, that is what I took it as AFTER reading the translation.
This was Sonnet 53, one of Shakespeare’s more serious sonnets.
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And, darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright—
How would thy shadow’s form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so?
How would, I say, mine eyes be blessèd made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay?
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.
I think that this is another religious sonnet. I think Shakespeare is trying to say that he doesn’t like the world around him and watching it as it deteriorates as he is happy with his own thoughts and way of thinking. He speaks of closing his eyes and being able to envision one whose shadow can make light out of darkness. I think of this religiously as perhaps Jesus. He could be talking about a girl, but from other sonnets I have read I think he is talking about religion. He says that “days are nights” and “nights are days” in comparison- saying that he prefers night to day because Jesus can illuminate the dark and is much clearer in the dark, alone.
I really think that translations help for the sonnets. Looking at the words in old-fashioned writing can be a bit confusing- and you find yourself second-guessing a lot. Clearly Shakespeare was saying the same message- Jesus shines above all. I think he was trying to express his love and awe for God in this sonnet by saying that if he shines so brightly in the dark and through the sins of the world, then he must truly be glorious and amazing in heaven, in holy light with no sins and darkness clouding around him OR clouding Shakespeare’s vision, for that matter.
My eyes work best when I’m asleep, because all day they look at things I don’t care about. When I sleep, my dreaming eyes alight on you and glitter brightly in the dark, having found your bright image there. Given that your shadowy dream-image brightens even the dark, how bright might you appear in daylight, when your own light is so much clearer? How bright, when your shadow shines so brightly to my eyes blinded by darkness? What good would it do my eyes to see you in the daytime when they already look at your beautiful image in the dead of night, as I sleep? Every day is as dark as night until I get to see you again, and every night is as bright as day when I see you in my dreams.
Above is the translated version. “Every day is as dark as night until I get to see you”. A clear plea for God. Can you imagine how empty and cold a life without God must be? Maybe Shakespeare had a friend who was going through a religious struggle and wrote the sonnet for them to open their eyes. Maybe he himself was struggling and wrote this to remind himself that God is before worldly things. “Every night is as bright as day when I see you in my dreams.” Maybe Shakespeare’s beliefs were not accepted around him- maybe he felt that he had to shelter himself.
Being he was a famous playwright, he had to appeal to many audiences. Maybe he disguised his sonnets to look like love poems, when they were indeed about his deep relationship with God that he didn’t want to show off. That is why he had to go through his days with a mask on, in the dark until at night he was alone and could pray freely without being judged by the public.
What do you think? Do you agree, or do you have your own opinion? Let me know.
Maddie
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