William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 112 is one of the poet’s many works that explores the themes of love, reputation, and the speaker’s relationship with the beloved. Written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet (14 lines, following the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme), this poem focuses on the speaker’s inner feelings about how the world perceives him, particularly in relation to the criticisms and praises he receives. The tone of the poem is one of defiance, self-assurance, and deep affection for the beloved. Throughout the poem, the speaker demonstrates a willingness to disregard external judgments in favor of the approval and validation of the person he loves.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 112
Your love and pity doth th’ impression fill
Which vulgar scandal stamped upon my brow;
For what care I who calls me well or ill,
So you o’ergreen my bad, my good allow?
You are my all the world, and I must strive
To know my shames and praises from your tongue;
None else to me, nor I to none alive,
That my steeled sense or changes right or wrong.
In so profound abysm I throw all care
Of others’ voices that my adder’s sense
To critic and to flatterer stoppèd are.
Mark how with my neglect I do dispense:
You are so strongly in my purpose bred
That all the world besides methinks are dead.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 112
As with many Shakespearean sonnets, Sonnet 112 follows a traditional structure. It consists of three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet, with the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The structure of the sonnet supports its thematic content. Each quatrain develops a different aspect of the speaker’s emotional and philosophical journey, and the concluding couplet serves as a resolution or reaffirmation of the speaker’s feelings.
The tone of Sonnet 112 is a mixture of defiance, contemplation, and loyalty. The speaker addresses an unnamed person (presumably the beloved), expressing his disregard for the judgments of others while placing the beloved at the center of his world. The speaker is essentially saying that the world’s criticisms and praise do not matter because the beloved’s approval is all that he needs. This sentiment of defiance against public opinion, and the idea of exclusive loyalty to the beloved, dominates the tone of the poem.
Analysis of Sonnet 112
Lines 1–4
“Your love and pity doth th’ impression fill
Which vulgar scandal stamped upon my brow;
For what care I who calls me well or ill,
So you o’ergreen my bad, my good allow?”
The opening quatrain introduces the speaker’s predicament—his reputation has been tainted by “vulgar scandal,” a public smear that has left an indelible mark on him. The speaker acknowledges this external judgment but immediately emphasizes that it does not concern him, as long as the beloved’s love and pity “fill” the impression left by the scandal. The phrase “o’ergreen my bad” suggests that the beloved’s love has the power to cover or redeem the speaker’s flaws and shortcomings, much like how a green plant might cover over and restore a barren ground. The speaker is less concerned with whether others call him good or bad, as long as the beloved accepts and loves him, flaws and all. This establishes the central conflict of the poem: the contrast between external judgment and internal love.
Lines 5–8
“You are my all the world, and I must strive
To know my shames and praises from your tongue;
None else to me, nor I to none alive,
That my steeled sense or changes right or wrong.”
In the second quatrain, the speaker deepens his devotion to the beloved by claiming that the beloved is his “all the world.” This line suggests that the speaker’s emotional and moral compass is entirely shaped by the beloved. The phrase “I must strive / To know my shames and praises from your tongue” further emphasizes the idea that the speaker looks to the beloved for validation, rather than seeking approval from others. The speaker’s sense of right and wrong, of praise and blame, is guided solely by the beloved’s opinion. There is an intensity in this devotion, as the speaker asserts that “None else to me, nor I to none alive”—no other person matters to him in the same way. This expression of exclusivity reinforces the speaker’s deep, singular attachment to the beloved.
Lines 9–12
“In so profound abysm I throw all care
Of others’ voices that my adder’s sense
To critic and to flatterer stoppèd are.
Mark how with my neglect I do dispense:”
The third quatrain reveals the speaker’s deliberate choice to ignore the opinions of others. The “profound abysm” in which he throws “all care” suggests a deep abyss or chasm into which he casts the voices of critics and flatterers alike. This metaphor signals the speaker’s complete rejection of external judgment. The comparison to an “adder’s sense” is particularly potent, as it evokes the image of a snake with a highly developed sense of its surroundings. Here, the speaker is metaphorically saying that his senses—once acutely aware of praise and criticism—are now “stoppèd” or blocked by his love for the beloved. The speaker is so focused on the beloved that the voices of others cannot reach him. The final line in this quatrain, “Mark how with my neglect I do dispense,” highlights how the speaker actively dismisses others, indifferent to their opinions or affections.
Lines 13–14
“You are so strongly in my purpose bred
That all the world besides methinks are dead.”
The concluding couplet drives home the idea that the speaker’s sense of purpose and identity is so deeply tied to the beloved that he feels as though the rest of the world “are dead” in comparison. The word “bred” suggests that the speaker’s purpose or direction in life is inseparable from the beloved’s presence, implying that this love has nurtured or given birth to his very sense of being. The final assertion that “all the world besides methinks are dead” is a hyperbolic statement of the speaker’s emotional exclusivity. To him, the world’s opinions, judgments, and people are inconsequential—nothing matters but the beloved.
Conclusion
In Sonnet 112, Shakespeare presents a powerful portrayal of the loyalty, passion, and exclusivity that can characterize the speaker’s devotion to the beloved. Through a clear and logical progression of ideas, the poem moves from the external judgment of scandal to the speaker’s rejection of public opinion, and ultimately to his complete immersion in the love he shares with the beloved. This poem encapsulates the paradox of love: while the world may offer its criticism and praise, only the beloved’s opinion matters. Shakespeare’s mastery lies not only in his poetic technique but in his ability to articulate such profound emotions in such a brief, structured form. The speaker’s defiance, coupled with his intense devotion, makes Sonnet 112 a compelling exploration of love’s capacity to transcend external forces.
