William Shakespeare‘s Sonnet 51 is one of his 154 sonnets, written in the traditional form of a Shakespearean sonnet (14 lines, iambic pentameter, and a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG). In this particular poem, Shakespeare explores the theme of love, physical separation, and the emotional pain that accompanies such a distance. The speaker reflects on the slowness of his messenger, a horse, as an extension of his own desire to be with his lover. The sonnet is marked by a deep yearning and an acknowledgment of the profound connection between love and time.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 51
Thus can my love excuse the slow offense
Of my dull bearer when from thee I speed:
From where thou art, why should I haste me thence?
Till I return, of posting is no need.
O, what excuse will my poor beast then find
When swift extremity can seem but slow?
Then should I spur, though mounted on the wind;
In wingèd speed no motion shall I know.
Then can no horse with my desire keep pace;
Therefore desire, of perfect’st love being made,
Shall neigh no dull flesh in his fiery race.
But love for love thus shall excuse my jade:
“Since from thee going he went willful slow,
Towards thee I’ll run, and give him leave to go.”
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 51
The sonnet adheres to the typical structure of Shakespeare’s sonnets: three quatrains followed by a rhymed couplet. The use of iambic pentameter—ten syllables per line, alternating between unstressed and stressed beats—provides a flowing rhythm that mirrors the speaker’s thoughts, which shift between reflection and urgency.
The tone of the poem is both affectionate and melancholic. The speaker expresses frustration with the slow pace of his messenger, yet this frustration is laced with tenderness as he contemplates the nature of love and desire. There is an underlying sense of humor, especially in the way he personifies the horse (“my poor beast”), but also a more serious reflection on the limitations of time and distance in the face of love.
Analysis of Sonnet 51
Lines 1-4
“Thus can my love excuse the slow offense
Of my dull bearer when from thee I speed:
From where thou art, why should I haste me thence?
Till I return, of posting is no need.”
In these opening lines, the speaker addresses the fact that his love provides an excuse for the slowness of his messenger, the horse. The “dull bearer” represents the physical limitations of the messenger, which contrast with the emotional urgency felt by the speaker. The term “offense” here refers to the idea that the speaker feels guilty for the slow progress, though he justifies it with love. The line “From where thou art, why should I haste me thence?” shows the speaker’s reluctance to leave his lover’s presence and implies that, until he returns, there is no real need to hurry—he is in no rush to be apart from the object of his desire.
The reference to “posting” here means traveling quickly, particularly in the context of delivering messages. Shakespeare uses the term to highlight the slow pace of the journey, which is acceptable to the speaker because of his deep attachment to the lover.
Lines 5-8
“O, what excuse will my poor beast then find
When swift extremity can seem but slow?
Then should I spur, though mounted on the wind;
In wingèd speed no motion shall I know.”
The speaker now shifts from considering the slowness of his messenger to imagining the paradox of time and speed. He wonders what excuse his “poor beast” can find when even extreme urgency (“swift extremity”) seems inadequate. This reflects the emotional contradiction in the speaker’s experience—he feels an intense urgency to return to his lover, yet the means of conveyance (the horse) cannot match the urgency of his feelings.
In the third line of this quatrain, the speaker imagines himself riding “mounted on the wind” and attempting to spur the horse into greater speed. The wind is often associated with speed and swiftness, yet, despite the intense desire for acceleration, the speaker acknowledges that “no motion shall I know.” This suggests that desire, though it may propel the speaker forward in spirit, cannot be realized physically as swiftly as his emotions wish.
Lines 9-12
“Then can no horse with my desire keep pace;
Therefore desire, of perfect’st love being made,
Shall neigh no dull flesh in his fiery race.
But love for love thus shall excuse my jade.”
Here, Shakespeare introduces a key metaphor: no horse can keep pace with the speaker’s desire. The horse represents the physical world and the limitations of the body, while the speaker’s desire represents the limitless speed of emotional passion. The metaphor of “neighing no dull flesh” further underscores the contrast between the physical and the emotional. “Perfect’st love” is the idealized, transcendent form of love, which cannot be restrained by the physical constraints of the body or time.
The term “jade” is an old-fashioned word for a worn-out or tired horse, and in this case, it symbolizes the limitations of the physical world. Yet, even the jade (the slow horse) is excused by the speaker’s intense love, which justifies the messenger’s lack of speed. The emotion of love overcomes the limitations of time and physicality, and in this way, the speaker reconciles the slow pace of his journey with the urgency of his feelings.
Lines 13-14
“Since from thee going he went willful slow,
Towards thee I’ll run, and give him leave to go.”
The final couplet brings the sonnet to a resolution. The speaker reflects that, although the messenger (“he”) went slowly when leaving, he will “run” towards the lover, allowing the horse to go at its own pace. The speaker’s desire to return to the lover quickly contrasts with the earlier acceptance of the slow journey, and the final lines show the speaker’s ability to reconcile the two. The use of “willful slow” to describe the departure reinforces the idea that the slow pace was a deliberate act of love, further justifying the messenger’s slower pace.
The closing line, “give him leave to go,” also reflects a sense of freedom—the speaker grants the horse permission to travel at its own pace, emphasizing the theme of release and return. The metaphor is extended in such a way that the act of separation is reconciled with the anticipation of reunion, further intensifying the emotional weight of the poem.
Conclusion
Sonnet 51 is a meditation on the relationship between physical separation and the emotional experience of love. Through the metaphor of the slow messenger and the speaker’s own intense desire, Shakespeare explores the tension between the limitations of the body and the boundlessness of emotion. The poem’s tone, structure, and use of metaphor serve to illustrate the ways in which love transcends time, space, and physical constraints, offering a poignant reflection on the nature of longing and reunion.
