William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 39 is a beautiful meditation on love, absence, and the paradoxical nature of separation within romantic relationships. It is part of the sequence of sonnets that address the poet’s love for a young man, as well as the emotional conflicts and contemplations such a relationship brings. This sonnet delves into the experience of absence, a central theme in Shakespeare’s works, and explores how distance can paradoxically enhance love. The sonnet follows the structure of the Shakespearean sonnet—three quatrains and a concluding couplet—and employs a refined interplay of tone and structure to present a nuanced emotional journey.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 39
O, how thy worth with manners may I sing
When thou art all the better part of me?
What can mine own praise to mine own self bring,
And what is ’t but mine own when I praise thee?
Even for this let us divided live
And our dear love lose name of single one,
That by this separation I may give
That due to thee which thou deserv’st alone.
O absence, what a torment wouldst thou prove
Were it not thy sour leisure gave sweet leave
To entertain the time with thoughts of love,
Which time and thoughts so sweetly doth deceive,
And that thou teachest how to make one twain
By praising him here who doth hence remain.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 39
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 39 adheres to the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form, consisting of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter, divided into three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet. This form allows for the development of a complex idea that progresses logically from the opening statement to a profound conclusion.
The tone of the sonnet is reflective and meditative, with a hint of longing. The speaker wrestles with the absence of the beloved but frames this absence as something that paradoxically nourishes and intensifies the love they share. The sonnet opens with the expression of a difficulty in praising the beloved, and yet it closes with a quiet resolution about the role of absence in love’s evolution. In many ways, this sonnet balances the sorrow of separation with the sweetness of love’s enduring presence despite physical distance.
Analysis of Sonnet 39
Lines 1–4
“O, how thy worth with manners may I sing
When thou art all the better part of me?
What can mine own praise to mine own self bring,
And what is ’t but mine own when I praise thee?”
In the opening quatrain, the speaker expresses a feeling of inadequacy in praising the beloved. The speaker is essentially saying that since the beloved is such an integral and superior part of them, how can they truly sing the worth of their lover without merely reflecting their own self-worth? There is a tension here, as the speaker recognizes that in praising the beloved, they are, in a sense, only praising themselves, because the beloved is “all the better part” of the speaker. The rhetorical questions in lines 3 and 4 reveal the complexity of this self-awareness—how can one extol another’s value without acknowledging that this other is also an essential part of the speaker’s identity? This section sets up the theme of unity and separation, of individual identity and shared essence.
Lines 5–8
“Even for this let us divided live
And our dear love lose name of single one,
That by this separation I may give
That due to thee which thou deserv’st alone.”
In the second quatrain, the speaker suggests that the solution to this dilemma might lie in a kind of separation. By living apart, they can preserve the individuality of the beloved and honor them in their own right. The phrase “our dear love lose name of single one” indicates that the speaker is willing to lose the perfect unity of their relationship for the sake of elevating the beloved to a more distinct and independent position. This separation is not one of indifference, but rather one that allows the speaker to give to the beloved what is rightfully theirs—“that due to thee which thou deserv’st alone.” There is a suggestion here that love, when truly given, requires a kind of individual recognition that might be lost in constant togetherness. The sacrifice of union, paradoxically, allows for a fuller recognition and honoring of the lover.
Lines 9–12
“O absence, what a torment wouldst thou prove
Were it not thy sour leisure gave sweet leave
To entertain the time with thoughts of love,
Which time and thoughts so sweetly doth deceive,”
In the third quatrain, the speaker confronts the idea of absence. The word “torment” emphasizes the pain that would come with separation, yet the speaker immediately softens this notion by recognizing that absence offers a “sour leisure,” which is also a time for sweet reflection. The “sweet leave” of absence allows the speaker to entertain thoughts of love, which, in turn, offer a kind of deceptive sweetness. Time and thoughts become agents of solace—they deceive the speaker into thinking that love can still be fully experienced even in the absence of the beloved. The paradox here is that the very thing that causes pain, absence, also offers the opportunity for deeper engagement with the love itself.
Lines 13–14
“And that thou teachest how to make one twain
By praising him here who doth hence remain.”
In the final couplet, the speaker acknowledges that the absence of the beloved teaches them how to maintain a connection despite physical separation. The beloved, though absent, is still praised, and this act of praising keeps the bond alive. The phrase “make one twain” refers to the paradox of love that is divided—spatially—but remains unified through thought and praise. The beloved’s absence thus becomes a means of reaffirming their importance in the speaker’s life. It is a way of making the bond between them stronger, by praising and remembering the loved one in their absence.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 39 is a profound meditation on the complex dynamics of love, absence, and the enduring power of connection. Through its elegant use of structure, paradox, and tone, it presents a nuanced exploration of how love can transcend physical separation and how absence itself can become a form of intimacy. The speaker’s reflections on praising the beloved even in absence suggest that true love is not bound by proximity but can flourish through thought, memory, and the continued celebration of the loved one’s worth. By framing absence as a necessary condition for love to deepen, Shakespeare reveals the intricate and sometimes painful beauty of relationships that endure, even when two souls are not physically together.
