Jesse Ochoa

Ms.Gardner
English 10 Per 4
14 Sep 2014
Sonnet 42 Analysis
In the Sonnet 42, a mixture of betrayal and grief are not immune to the poem: Through
each line, the poet gains faith in love. William Shakespeares use of drastic imagery and sound
of grief stage the poet trying to regain love, even if he never does. The use of the image, lay
me on this cross, signifies that the poet wants to die on the cross because he has lost faith in
love. The rich wording of- thou knowst I love her and doth she abuse me show that even
though the poets lover abused him, the poet still loved her after being abused. Line 4 states A
loss in love that touches me more nearly, this shows that the poet has lost a love that was very
close to him, and he possibly cant get the love back. The words- She hath thee is of my
wailing chief, these words emphasize his love and his grief in that she used to wail for him and
not anymore. The poet also excuses people that offend love in the poem by stating, Loving
offenders thus I will excuse thee. These words show that the poet is telling that if you offend
love in any sort of way, your opinion or anything you have to say, doesnt matter in this situation.
Ultimately, the poet is stuck in grief and betrayal throughout the poem. Yet he is stuck with grief
because he thinks he never got betrayed, he is still with his beloved in his mind. The poet
succeeds through his grief for the reader and the loneliness of the character.