Sonnet 23

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Sonnet 23 in the 1609 Quarto
Q1 Q2 Q3 C As an unperfect actor on the stage, Who with his fear is put besides his part, Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage, Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart; So I, for fear of trust, forget to say The perfect ceremony of love’s rite, And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay, O’ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might. O, let my books be then the eloquence And dumb presagers of my speaking breast; Who plead for love, and look for recompense, More than that tongue that more hath more express’d. O, learn to read what silent love hath writ: To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit. 4 8 12 14 —William Shakespeare

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Q2



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C

As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put besides his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens his own heart;
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
And in mine own love’s strength seem to decay,
O’ercharged with burthen of mine own love’s might.
O, let my books be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast;
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
More than that tongue that more hath more express’d.
O, learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love’s fine wit.

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8



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14

Sonnet 23 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, and is a part of the Fair Youth sequence.

In the sonnet, the speaker compares himself to an actor on stage who has frozen up and cannot speak, but he hopes that his love will understand him through this poem. It is of special interest because of its use of a metaphor drawn from acting, a figure that has led to much attention for what the poem might reveal about Shakespeare's attitude towards sonnet writing, love poetry, and his professions as a playwright and a poet.

The actor doesn't know his lines and due to his fear and nervousness, he loses his mastery of his role, also known as his "part". The actor is so passionate about his job that his passion is likened to a "fierce thing", an inhuman beast that has so much fervor and energy that it collapses within itself. This lion-like heart gives out on stage. This paralyzing fear has stripped the actor of his self-trust, the lifeblood of an actor. He is petrified of the responsibility that has been thrust upon him. Because of this, he forgets to say the right words in a certain love ritual. And this reminds him of how his own love's fortitude is withering due to the burden of his own love's strength. Ironically, the object of his love is acting. So he loves acting too much to effectively act. The sonnet then turns into a plea, a plea that his plays can be the silent indicators of his heart, a representation of his feelings in paper form. He needs his plays to do this because he can not accurately articulate his feelings. His plays plead for the affection that his heart seeks; they seek a return on what his heart is giving: which is endless affection for the object of the play. Since he is unable to iterate his words, the plays cry out for love even more than his words; the poet eagerly awaits the full love that might await a ready speaker who successfully speaks romantically. The poet pleads with the object of the poem to understand his silent plays that beg for love; for the object to use their eyes as if they were ears listening to romantic words.