Sonnet 43

William ShakespeareFiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1609

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Background

Literary Context: Sonnet Composition, Organization, and Characterization

Shakespeare’s Sonnets appeared during William Shakespeare’s lifetime once in a single volume in 1609. There is speculation regarding how much Shakespeare was involved with this publication, as it may have been initiated, designed, or completed by publisher Thomas Thorpe without Shakespeare’s assistance. Prior to this point, the sonnets had only been privately circulated.

The 1609 volume contains 154 sonnets, which are generally considered as two sections; the first 126 poems focus on a character that has been named “The Fair Youth”—of which “Sonnet 43” is one. The second grouping (Sonnets 127-152) focuses on a dark-haired woman whom scholars call “The Dark Lady.” The sonnets also contain a recurring figure named “The Rival Poet,” who appears in Sonnets 78-87. The Rival Poet vies for the attention of The Fair Youth, trying to usurp the speaker. The last two sonnets, Sonnets 153 and 154, draw on the myth of Cupid, and comment on themes of the entirety of the work. While in truth, there may have been more than one youth, lady, or rival, these terms are used as if the characters are the same in multiple sonnets. There is no known evidence as to whether the poems should be read chronologically or as a connected lyrical narrative.

Literary Context: Autobiographical Speculation

Scholars are unsure if the sonnets are autobiographical, depicting a love affair between a young man and Shakespeare. Little is known about Shakespeare and his interpersonal relationships beyond his marriage to Anne Hathaway. Because of this dearth of information, scholars have tried to glean what they can from the sonnets themselves. Much speculation has centered around the speaker’s love affair with The Fair Youth, and then The Dark Lady, indicating the writer’s potential bisexuality. Shakespeare’s Sonnets is dedicated to “Mr. W. H.,” whose identity is unknown. It has been speculated that “W. H.” equates to The Fair Youth of Sonnets 1-127, and has been sometimes identified as Shakespeare’s young patron—Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton—although there is no known evidence.

Other scholars suggest the dedication is to another patron, or a supporter of the printer of the volume, with the dedication coming from Thomas Thorpe rather than Shakespeare. The sexual subject of the poems was considered transgressive in some quarters, and John Benson’s edited reworking of the book in 1640, not long after Shakespeare’s death, involved modifications to and censoring of the text. (See: Further Reading & Resources). New readings of the poems, especially “Sonnet 43” as one of The Fair Youth poems, address this matter rather than remove it altogether.