William Shakespeare‘s Sonnet 146, often considered one of the more contemplative of his sonnets, grapples with profound themes of mortality, the transient nature of life, and the relationship between the soul and the body. This poem, through its structure and poignant imagery, urges a deep reflection on the futility of earthly pursuits when contrasted with the eternal value of the soul. In this essay, I will analyze the overall structure and tone of Sonnet 146, as well as break down the poem into specific sections for a more detailed exploration.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 146
Poor soul, the center of my sinful earth,
Pressed with these rebel powers that thee array,
Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth,
Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?
Why so large cost, having so short a lease,
Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?
Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,
Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body’s end?
Then, soul, live thou upon thy servant’s loss,
And let that pine to aggravate thy store.
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Within be fed, without be rich no more.
So shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,
And Death once dead, there’s no more dying then.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 146
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 146 is a typical Shakespearean (or English) sonnet, composed of 14 lines in iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. The poem can be divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a final rhymed couplet. The first three quatrains develop the argument regarding the soul and body, while the final couplet offers a resolution or conclusion to the musings presented earlier.
The tone of the poem is contemplative and admonitory. Shakespeare uses a direct address to the soul, which is both a reflection of concern and a call to action. The speaker’s tone oscillates between criticism and advice, urging the soul to prioritize its spiritual well-being over the temporary embellishments of the body. The imagery is stark and grave, with references to decay, death, and the futility of worldly desires. Yet, there is also a sense of urgency in the poem, urging the soul to act before it is too late. The final couplet offers a hint of hope and peace, suggesting that the soul’s eternal reward comes from detaching itself from the fleeting concerns of the body.
Analysis of Sonnet 146
Lines 1–4
The Soul and the Body’s Struggle
“Poor soul, the center of my sinful earth,
Pressed with these rebel powers that thee array,
Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth,
Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?”
In these opening lines, Shakespeare immediately introduces a stark contrast between the soul and the body. The soul is depicted as the “center of my sinful earth,” implying that it resides within a corrupt and mortal vessel, the body. The use of the word “sinful” emphasizes the idea that the body, and its associated desires, are inherently flawed. The “rebel powers” refer to the desires and temptations that corrupt the soul and keep it in a constant state of conflict. The speaker is questioning the soul’s actions: why does it “pine within and suffer dearth,” essentially asking why the soul suffers from deprivation or anguish when it spends so much energy decorating the “outward walls” — the body — with “costly gay,” i.e., materialistic and extravagant embellishments. The metaphor of “painting the outward walls” suggests that the soul focuses on superficial and temporary matters, while neglecting its true, spiritual nature.
Lines 5–8
The Futility of Physical Ornamentation
“Why so large cost, having so short a lease,
Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?
Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,
Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body’s end?”
In this section, Shakespeare continues his critique of the soul’s preoccupation with the body. The phrase “large cost, having so short a lease” reflects the brevity of life. The soul is spending too much on the body — “thy fading mansion” — a metaphor for the physical form, which, like a mansion, is destined to decay and collapse. The speaker asks a rhetorical question: “Shall worms, inheritors of this excess, eat up thy charge?” This vivid imagery of worms consuming the body after death serves to underscore the inevitable fate of all physical things — they return to the earth and become food for decay. The “charge” here refers to the body’s material wealth, which is ultimately of no use once it is consumed by death. Shakespeare is reminding the soul that the body’s life is temporary and fleeting, making any effort to lavish it with excessive adornments ultimately pointless.
Lines 9–12
The Soul’s True Focus
“Then, soul, live thou upon thy servant’s loss,
And let that pine to aggravate thy store.
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Within be fed, without be rich no more.”
The tone of these lines shifts from questioning to instruction. The speaker urges the soul to “live thou upon thy servant’s loss,” where the “servant” refers to the body. The soul is instructed to focus not on the body’s temporal beauty, but rather to “buy terms divine” — that is, to seek spiritual nourishment and salvation. The idea of “selling hours of dross” suggests that the soul should renounce the material and ephemeral aspects of life (“dross” refers to worthless material) in exchange for eternal spiritual gain. The line “Within be fed, without be rich no more” emphasizes that the soul’s sustenance should come from within, from spiritual richness, rather than external, material wealth. The poem here argues for the prioritization of the inner life — the soul — over the body, which is ultimately a “servant” and a decaying vessel.
Lines 13–14
Resolution and Final Insight
“So shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,
And Death once dead, there’s no more dying then.”
In the closing couplet, Shakespeare presents a profound paradox. If the soul follows his advice, it will “feed on Death,” a phrase that suggests the soul will transcend death’s power. Since death feeds on men, it can only claim the body, but the soul, by nourishing itself spiritually, escapes the cycle of death. The line “Death once dead, there’s no more dying then” implies that by focusing on the eternal — the divine — the soul will achieve immortality, a state where death has no further hold. This resolution offers a sense of peace and hope: by detaching from the body’s fleeting concerns, the soul can live on forever, untouched by the decay that affects the physical world.
Conclusion
Sonnet 146 stands as a powerful meditation on the relationship between body and soul, mortality and eternity. Through his use of vivid imagery, metaphors, and a contemplative tone, Shakespeare urges the reader to reconsider the value of earthly pursuits in light of the inevitable decay of the body. The poem’s message is clear: true wealth is not in material possessions or the adornment of the body, but in the nourishment of the soul. Ultimately, the soul, if it forsakes the fleeting pleasures of the body, will be freed from the power of death, attaining eternal life.
