Hopefully now you understand the sonnet a little better you are starting to see the beauty and simplicity of this great sonnet. Your image is like a shining jewel hanging in the haunting night, your image makes that old, black night look beautiful and young.īecause of you, my body does not rest in the day and my mind cannot rest even in the peace of night. Except, in my imagination, I see your image clearly, even though it’s pitch black and I can’t see anything else. These thoughts keep my tired eyes wide open, staring at the darkness like blind people do. But then I start to go on another journey in my head, my mind begins work after my body’s work is done for the day.īecause when I go to bed, my thoughts begin the journey from where I am sleeping, far away from you, to where you are (somewhere far away). This could be a very simplified version of the text.Įxhausted from hard work, I go quickly to bed, the comfy place of rest for a body that is tired out from labouring/travelling. Thus: therefore Modern English Version Sonnet 27 My drooping eyelids: My eyelids, which otherwise would close to go to sleep. It could possibly have been a play on words, travail here means struggle or hard work. Travail: in some versions of this sonnet this is written as travel. Lo, thus by day my limbs, by night my mind,įor thee, and for myself, no quiet find. Makes black night beauteous and her old face new: Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night Presents thy shadow to my sightless view, Looking on darkness which the blind do see To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:įor then my thoughts, from far where I abide, The dear repose for limbs with travail tired They tend to have a meditative and reminiscent quality. Sonnets 27-30 all share similiar themes of sorrow, sleeplessness and difficult seperation. This sonnet falls into the first section of sonnets 1 – 126 which are described as being written to the “young man”. We are all familiar with the restless nights thinking about our loves. Over 450 years after Shakespeare’s death this sonnet still seem relevant and touching. It’s not one of the most well known of Shakespeare’s sonnets, but I think it’s as poignant as ever. One that I particularly love is sonnet 27. I have recently become obsessed with Shakespeare’s sonnets.