William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 132 is a poignant expression of longing, rejection, and the complex interplay between beauty and suffering. The speaker addresses his lover, focusing on the eyes—symbolizing not only attraction but also emotional torment. The sonnet, like many of Shakespeare’s works, explores themes of love, loss, and the tension between physical and emotional beauty. In this essay, we will first analyze the overall structure and tone of the poem, followed by a detailed analysis of each quatrain and the concluding couplet.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 132
Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torment me with disdain,
Have put on black, and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
And truly not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the gray cheeks of the east,
Nor that full star that ushers in the even
Doth half that glory to the sober west
As those two mourning eyes become thy face.
O, let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me, since mourning doth thee grace,
And suit thy pity like in every part.
Then will I swear beauty herself is black,
And all they foul that thy complexion lack.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 132
Sonnet 132 follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form, consisting of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter. This form is divided into three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, which is typical for Shakespearean sonnets. Each quatrain builds on the previous one, leading up to a resolution in the final couplet.
In terms of tone, Sonnet 132 is a blend of sorrow, longing, and admiration. The speaker’s voice fluctuates between expressing vulnerability and asserting the worth of the lover’s mourning eyes, which he deems both beautiful and mournfully appropriate. The tone, overall, conveys a deep yearning for emotional reciprocation—an appeal for the lover’s empathy and emotional alignment with the speaker’s suffering.
Analysis of Sonnet 132
Lines 1-4
“Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torment me with disdain,
Have put on black, and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.”
In these opening lines, the speaker addresses the lover directly, confessing a deep love for their eyes. These eyes are not merely beautiful but are imbued with a sense of pity. The phrase “pitying me” introduces the central tension of the sonnet: the speaker is suffering, perhaps from unrequited love or emotional neglect, and the lover’s eyes, which might normally represent joy and admiration, now reflect pity. This sorrowful gaze is further emphasized by the metaphor of the lover’s eyes “putting on black” and becoming “loving mourners.” The color black traditionally symbolizes mourning or grief, suggesting that the lover’s eyes now mirror the speaker’s pain, though without offering comfort. The phrase “pretty ruth” is a juxtaposition of beauty and sorrow, with “ruth” referring to compassion or pity.
Lines 5-8
“And truly not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the gray cheeks of the east,
Nor that full star that ushers in the even
Doth half that glory to the sober west.”
In this quatrain, the speaker shifts to a comparison of the lover’s eyes with natural beauty. The speaker claims that no celestial body is as glorious as the lover’s mourning gaze. The “morning sun” and “full star” are both symbols of radiant beauty, typically associated with the dawn and dusk, respectively. However, the speaker suggests that the beauty of the lover’s eyes surpasses these natural wonders. The image of “gray cheeks of the east” and “sober west” alludes to the quiet, restrained beauty of morning and evening, implying that the lover’s eyes—though sorrowful—are even more captivating in their subdued, mournful grace. There’s an inherent tension here: while the natural world is beautiful, the lover’s sorrowful eyes eclipse this beauty.
Lines 9-12
“As those two mourning eyes become thy face.
O, let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me, since mourning doth thee grace,
And suit thy pity like in every part.”
Here, the speaker continues to elevate the mourning eyes, asserting that they are an integral part of the lover’s beauty. The eyes, now symbolic of sorrow, are said to “become” the lover’s face—suggesting that the sorrow is so natural and fitting that it enhances the lover’s appearance. The speaker then makes a direct plea, urging the lover to let mourning “beseem thy heart,” or to allow grief to consume them emotionally as it does physically. The phrase “mourning doth thee grace” is particularly important: it suggests that sorrow, rather than diminishing beauty, enhances it. Mourning fits the lover so well that it becomes an essential part of their character. The speaker also seems to imply that the lover’s capacity for pity—both physical and emotional—is a quality that complements the speaker’s suffering.
Lines 13-14
“Then will I swear beauty herself is black,
And all they foul that thy complexion lack.”
The final couplet offers a striking conclusion to the sonnet. The speaker declares that if the lover’s mourning eyes are so fitting and beautiful, then “beauty herself is black.” In other words, the speaker is willing to redefine beauty: it is no longer the bright, lively, or joyful quality commonly associated with physical beauty but is now aligned with sorrow and mourning. The speaker goes further by suggesting that anyone whose complexion lacks the beauty of sorrow—who does not share in the lover’s mourning—can be considered “foul.” This assertion is a paradoxical but powerful statement on beauty. The lover’s sorrow, manifested in their eyes, has redefined beauty for the speaker. Thus, the poem concludes with an expression of admiration for the lover’s mourning as a form of beauty that transcends the conventional notions of attractiveness.
Conclusion
Sonnet 132 is a rich meditation on the intersection of physical beauty and emotional suffering. Shakespeare uses the image of the lover’s eyes—emblems of both pity and beauty—to explore how emotional states can transform perceptions of physical attractiveness. The poem begins with the speaker’s love for the eyes but quickly moves into a complex exploration of how mourning, pity, and beauty are intertwined. The speaker not only admires the lover’s sorrow but redefines beauty itself to include it. In the end, mourning becomes a transformative force, elevating both the lover’s appearance and the speaker’s emotional state. Through this poem, Shakespeare deepens our understanding of love’s power to reshape not only relationships but also the very nature of beauty.
