Sonnet 29

William Shakespeare

When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself, and curse my fate,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,

Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least;

Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

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Summary:
The poem details the speaker’s depression. He despairs over his

state, his fate, and his difference from other luckier men. But, the

second half of the poem asserts, this sadness goes away when he

remembers his love. This person elevates him higher than a king.

In the first quatrain, the speaker expresses his feelings of discontent

and describes himself as "in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes."

He feels rejected by society and believes that he lacks the qualities

that others admire. He envies those who are more successful and

popular.

In the second quatrain, the speaker continues to lament his situation

and wallows in self-pity. He feels isolated and abandoned, comparing

himself to "desiring this man's art and that man's scope." He believes

that he lacks the talents and opportunities of others, making him feel

inadequate and unworthy.

However, in the third quatrain, the tone of the sonnet shifts as the

speaker's perspective changes. Despite his initial despair, the

speaker experiences a change of heart when he thinks about the

person he loves. The thought of his beloved brings him solace and
comfort. He realizes that he is "rich in having such a jewel" and

suddenly feels blessed.

The final couplet concludes the sonnet by affirming the

transformative power of love. The speaker states that with the

thought of his beloved, he no longer cares about his previous

troubles and misfortunes. He feels like he is in heaven and his spirits

are uplifted, stating, "For thy sweet love remembered such wealth

brings, That then I scorn to change my state with kings."

Overall, Sonnet 29 explores the contrast between feelings of despair

and desolation with the redemptive power of love. The speaker's

mindset shifts from self-pity to contentment and gratitude when

thinking about the love he shares with his beloved. The sonnet

emphasizes the importance of love and its ability to bring joy and

redemption, even in the face of adversity.

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Detailed analysis:

Lines 1-4

“When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state,

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

And look upon myself and curse my fate,

In the first lines of ‘When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s

eyes’ the speaker begins by describing a particular mental and

emotional situation he’s often in. “When,” he says he feels

disgraced in the eyes of luck or fortune, and “men” he finds

himself weeping over his outcast state. At these moments he

feels terrible as though heaven is deaf to his plight and God is

not listening to his cries. This mournful speaker curses his

“fate,” whatever that may be.

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Lines 5-8

“Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,

Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least;

The next quatrain continues on the same themes. He wishes, in

these moments, that he was more hopeful. That he had the

characteristics of those who are “more rich in hope” than he. The

idealized man this speaker has in mind has a lot of friends and a

“scope” that is more pleasing. He has more opportunities than the

speaker does and a lot more skills. Although the speaker does not

reveal in these lines what he is so upset about, it is clearly

something fundamental. He feels as though he’s lacking something

that other men have.

He adds at the end of this quatrain that he no longer enjoys that

which he used to love the most. The man is in a deep depression.

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Lines 9-14
“Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

(Like to the lark at break of day arising

From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;

For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

In the last six lines of ‘When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s

eyes’ the speaker, unlike in most of Shakespeare’s sonnets, does

not provide a solution to the problem. There does not appear to be

a clear way out of this mindset, but there is a balm. When is

despairs about his own fate and life he thinks on “thee” This “thee”

is the “fair youth” to whom so many of Shakespeare’s sonnets are

dedicated. He thinks about this person, becomes happy, and his

state is improved. He uses a similar to compare his rising spirits to

a “lark at break of day arising / From sullen earth”.

The speaker as a lark leaves behind all his mundane earthly

problems and is elevated to a higher plane. He feels, in these

happier moments, that he is able to sing hymns at “heaven’s gate,”

directly to God.

The final lines of ‘When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes’

summarize the previous twelve. They state very clearly that the fair

youth’s love is the only thing that brings the speaker happiness. He
feels wealthy in these moments, richer than kings. There is no one

he’d rather trade places with.

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Figure of Speech:

1. Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares

two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another. In
Sonnet 29, Shakespeare uses metaphors to convey the
speaker's emotions and state of mind. For example, in the
opening line, the speaker describes himself as being "in
disgrace with fortune and men's eyes." Here, the speaker's
state of disgrace is compared to his relationship with
fortune and the judgment of others.
2. Personification: Personification involves attributing human
characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas. In
Sonnet 29, Shakespeare personifies fortune in the line
"When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes." By
personifying fortune, the speaker suggests that fortune has
the ability to bring him disgrace and affect how he is
perceived by others.
3. Simile: A simile is a figure of speech that compares two
things using "like" or "as." In Sonnet 29, the speaker uses a
simile to express his feelings of envy and longing. He says,
"Wishing me like to one more rich in hope." Here, the
speaker compares himself to someone who is more
 hopeful, highlighting his sense of lacking and yearning for a
better state.
4. Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the same
consonant sound at the beginning of neighboring words. In
Sonnet 29, Shakespeare employs alliteration to create
musicality and rhythm. For instance, in the line "Desiring
this man's art and that man's scope," the repetition of the "m"
sound in "man's," "man's," and "scope" adds a pleasing sound
pattern.
5. Repetition: Repetition involves the repeated use of words or
phrases for emphasis. In Sonnet 29, the poet repeats
certain words to emphasize the speaker's feelings. For
instance, the repetition of the word "state" in the final
couplet ("That then I scorn to change my state with kings")
reinforces the idea that the speaker's mindset has changed,
and he now values his own state or condition.

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Themes:
1. Self-doubt and Despair: The poem explores the speaker's

feelings of inadequacy and his sense of being outcast and

rejected by society. He expresses self-doubt and despair,

believing that he lacks the qualities and successes admired

by others.
2. Longing for Love and Acceptance: The sonnet highlights

the speaker's yearning for love, acceptance, and a sense of

belonging. He desires the affection and approval of others

and feels isolated without it.

3. The Transformative Power of Love: Sonnet 29 also explores

the redemptive and transformative power of love. The

speaker's perspective changes when he thinks of his

beloved. The thought of this person brings him comfort,

solace, and a sense of worthiness, ultimately lifting him out

of despair and self-pity.

4. Gratitude and Contentment: As the sonnet progresses, it

emphasizes the theme of gratitude and contentment. The

speaker realizes the value of his beloved's love, considering

it a precious "jewel." He becomes appreciative of what he

has and finds happiness and contentment in the love he

shares.

5. The Superiority of Inner Wealth over Material Wealth:

Sonnet 29 explores the idea that true wealth lies in the

intangible aspects of life, such as love and emotional

 connection, rather than in material possessions or social

status. The speaker suggests that his love and inner

contentment are more valuable than the riches of kings.

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By: Tamim Rahman