William Shakespeare‘s Sonnet 57 presents a poignant exploration of the power dynamics between a lover and their beloved. The speaker is enslaved by love, finding themselves at the mercy of the object of their affection, acting as a servant to their desires. This sonnet delves into the themes of devotion, sacrifice, and the overwhelming force of love, depicted through the metaphor of slavery. Shakespeare’s characteristic use of iambic pentameter, his masterful employment of vivid imagery, and his exploration of human emotions form the heart of this work.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 57
Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend
Nor services to do till you require.
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour
When you have bid your servant once adieu.
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,
But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought
Save where you are how happy you make those.
So true a fool is love that in your will,
Though you do anything, he thinks no ill.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 57
Sonnet 57 is written in the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form, consisting of 14 lines divided into three quatrains and a final couplet. The rhyme scheme follows the pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The poem is presented in iambic pentameter, a rhythm that consists of five feet per line, each foot containing an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
The tone of the sonnet is one of subjugation and deep devotion. The speaker conveys a sense of helplessness, as their life seems entirely governed by the whims and desires of the beloved. This tone shifts toward irony in the final couplet, where love’s foolishness is laid bare, highlighting the paradox of love’s power to make one both a slave and a fool simultaneously.
Analysis of Sonnet 57
Lines 1–4
“Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend
Nor services to do till you require.”
In the opening quatrain, the speaker immediately identifies their role as a “slave” to the beloved. The metaphor of slavery is central to this sonnet, reflecting not physical enslavement but emotional and mental subjugation. The speaker’s life is entirely devoted to the desires and demands of the beloved. They have “no precious time at all to spend”—their time is not their own but is dictated by when their services are needed. This highlights the unbalanced, one-sided nature of the relationship, where the speaker is passive, awaiting the commands of their sovereign, the lover. The speaker is caught in a position where their existence is defined only in terms of fulfilling the beloved’s desires.
Lines 5–8
“Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you,
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour
When you have bid your servant once adieu.”
The second quatrain expands on the speaker’s submission. They are so enslaved by love that they do not even dare to criticize the passage of time. The “world-without-end hour” refers to the long periods of waiting, suggesting that time without the lover feels endless and torturous. Despite this, the speaker remains passive, watching the clock for the beloved’s return. In the absence of the lover, the speaker refuses to “think the bitterness of absence sour,” accepting it without complaint. This resignation is a further indication of the power the lover holds over the speaker: even in the lover’s absence, the speaker remains loyal and devoted, refusing to dwell on their suffering.
Lines 9–12
“Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,
But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought
Save where you are how happy you make those.”
In these lines, the speaker again shows their willingness to accept their subservient role without question. They do not dare to harbor “jealous thoughts,” nor do they inquire about the lover’s whereabouts or activities. This reflects an almost blind trust in the lover, which can be seen as both a noble and a foolish trait. Instead of questioning the lover, the speaker focuses solely on the happiness the lover brings to others. The phrase “like a sad slave” encapsulates the paradox of the speaker’s existence: they are both sorrowful and content in their subjugation, finding their happiness in the imagined happiness of the lover’s actions toward others.
Lines 13–14 (The Final Couplets):
“So true a fool is love that in your will,
Though you do anything, he thinks no ill.”
The final couplet offers an ironic twist. The speaker concludes that love, in its purest form, is a “true fool.” Love allows the lover to act with complete freedom, even if their actions might be harmful or careless. The lover is seen as infallible in the eyes of the speaker, who cannot perceive any wrong in the lover’s actions. This “foolishness” is a defining characteristic of love; the lover becomes beyond reproach, and the speaker willingly accepts any treatment, no matter how unkind. The paradox of love is that it blinds the lover’s servant to any wrongdoing, reinforcing the idea that love is both an overpowering and irrational force.
Conclusion
Sonnet 57 portrays the complexities of love through the metaphor of servitude. Shakespeare illustrates the speaker’s devotion, sacrifice, and utter submission to their lover, while also critiquing the foolishness that often accompanies love’s power. The poem encapsulates the emotional and psychological turmoil of loving someone with such intensity that one becomes entirely defined by that love. The juxtaposition of devotion and foolishness is striking, as Shakespeare reveals the tension between the speaker’s yearning for the lover’s approval and their inability to recognize any fault in their treatment. In the end, the sonnet stands as a reflection on love’s paradoxical nature, where devotion can lead to both profound fulfillment and self-imposed misery.
