William Shakespeare‘s Sonnet 98 is one of the 154 sonnets in his famous collection, written in the English sonnet form, which consists of 14 lines in iambic pentameter with a specific rhyme scheme: ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This sonnet focuses on the themes of absence, the passage of time, and the speaker’s deep longing for a loved one. In this analysis, I will first examine the overall structure and tone of the sonnet before delving into a detailed, paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown of its contents.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 98
From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leapt with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odor and in hue
Could make me any summer’s story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.
Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seemed it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 98
The structure of Sonnet 98 follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet pattern, with three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhymed couplet (two-line stanza). The meter, iambic pentameter, consists of five pairs of alternating unstressed and stressed syllables per line, giving the poem a rhythmic and flowing quality. The rhyme scheme—ABABCDCDEFEFGG—connects the quatrains in a structured manner, with each quatrain contributing a distinct part to the thematic progression of the poem.
The tone of the poem is one of longing and melancholy, mixed with a sense of nostalgia and hopelessness. Shakespeare’s speaker feels deeply affected by the absence of a loved one, to the extent that the beauty of spring, a time associated with renewal and vitality, cannot bring joy. The absence of the beloved casts a shadow over the world, making even the most beautiful sights seem dull and empty. Thus, the poem speaks to the power of love and absence, where the physical world, however bright and full of life, seems lifeless in the lover’s absence.
Analysis of Sonnet 98
Lines 1–4
“From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leapt with him.”
In these opening lines, the speaker begins by addressing the absence of the beloved during the spring season, traditionally a time of rejuvenation. The phrase “proud-pied April” uses personification to describe April as a proud figure adorned in the “trim” of spring. The imagery here is lush and vivid—April’s “trim” suggests the new life and vibrancy associated with the season, enhancing the speaker’s sense of loss.
The phrase “Hath put a spirit of youth in everything” conveys how spring rejuvenates all living things, from flowers to animals. The speaker contrasts this youthful, energetic spirit with the image of “heavy Saturn,” a Roman god associated with winter, aging, and melancholy. The personification of Saturn laughing and leaping with April suggests that even the oldest and heaviest forces in the universe are moved by the energy of spring. However, despite this rebirth, the speaker’s sense of absence remains unresolved, implying that the joy of the season cannot reach him because he is emotionally distant from his beloved.
Lines 5–8
“Yet nor the lays of birds nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odor and in hue
Could make me any summer’s story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.”
In these lines, the speaker further emphasizes the deep despair of being without the beloved. Despite the beauty of spring—represented by the songs of birds, the scent of flowers, and their vibrant colors—the speaker cannot find joy or inspiration in them. The phrase “make me any summer’s story tell” highlights the failure of nature to lift his spirits. This is a poetic way of saying that, even though the world is full of life and beauty, the speaker feels disconnected and unable to “tell” or experience the joys of the season. The second line, “Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew,” strengthens this idea, suggesting that the flowers’ beauty and pride are meaningless in the absence of the lover. The phrase “proud lap” personifies the flowers, but the flowers’ “pride” only highlights the void felt by the speaker.
Lines 9–12
“Nor did I wonder at the lily’s white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.”
Here, the speaker admits that even the most iconic symbols of beauty—the lily and the rose—fail to captivate his attention. The lily, often associated with purity, and the rose, with passionate love, are described in neutral terms: “but sweet” and “figures of delight.” The speaker acknowledges that these flowers, while beautiful, are mere “figures” of the beloved, a “pattern” that lacks the true essence of the lover. This suggests that the beloved is the standard by which all beauty is measured. Without the beloved, even the most beautiful natural elements seem hollow and unworthy of admiration.
The speaker’s use of “you pattern of all those” elevates the beloved to an almost divine status. The comparison between the beloved and the natural world emphasizes how the speaker’s perception of beauty is intrinsically linked to the lover. The natural world, while stunning, seems incomplete in comparison.
Lines 13–14
“Yet seemed it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.”
The closing lines bring the sonnet full circle, returning to the motif of absence. Despite the surrounding beauty of spring and summer, the speaker experiences “winter” in the absence of the beloved. The metaphor of “winter” here signifies a state of emotional coldness and desolation, reinforcing the idea that nature alone cannot fill the void left by the beloved.
The phrase “As with your shadow I with these did play” suggests that the speaker’s engagement with nature—be it flowers, birds, or the seasons—was only a shadow of true enjoyment. The shadow of the lover, although not the actual presence of the lover, remains a faint source of interaction with the world, yet it still leaves the speaker feeling cold and disconnected. This highlights the power of the lover’s absence to overshadow the pleasures of life itself.
Conclusion
Sonnet 98 is a poignant expression of love and absence, where Shakespeare explores the theme of emotional desolation in the absence of the beloved. The speaker portrays how the world of nature, brimming with vitality, cannot fill the emptiness caused by separation from the one he loves. Through vivid imagery, personification, and contrast, Shakespeare beautifully conveys how the presence of the lover is the measure by which the speaker judges all beauty. The poem is a meditation on the profound impact of love, where even the most enchanting aspects of the natural world pale in comparison to the beloved’s presence.
