Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare


William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. He was born on or around 23 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, the eldest son of John Shakespeare, a prosperous glover and local dignitary, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. There are no records of William’s education, but he probably went to King’s New School – a reputable Stratford grammar school where he would have learned Latin, Greek, theology and rhetoric – and may have had a Catholic upbringing. He may also have seen plays by the travelling theatre groups touring Stratford in the 1560s and 70s. At 18, William married Anne Hathaway, and the couple had three children over the next few years.


Between about 1590 and 1613, Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays and collaborated on several more. His 17 comedies include The Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing. Among his 10 history plays are Henry V and Richard III. The most famous among his tragedies are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. Shakespeare also wrote 4 poems, and a famous collection of Sonnets which was first published in 1609.




The poet William Shakespeare is unhappy. He is sad. He thinks that he has become disgrace. He has fallen from the eyes of people. People do not care for him. They do not like him. The poet does not have good fortune. He does not have money. He is all alone. He does not have any friend. In his loneliness he weeeps his outcasts state. He feels dejected and sad that he has become an outsider.
The poet prays to God. But. God is deaf to his prayer. His cries become bootless. His condition has become like Job. Job is a character in the old testament. He was cursed to lie on a heap of dung. Job prayed for God's mercy but God does not pay any heed to his prayer. The poet's condition is no better than that. He curses his fate. 

The poet has envy. He is jelous of people around him. He is jealous of people who have hope. He is jelous of youths with good features. He is jealous of those who have friends. He is also jealous of those who have art. He feels envy for those who are getting opportunities in their lives. He wants to have their good fortune. He wants to be like them. 

All of sudden, the poet's thoughts change. His mood changes when he thinks of his beloved. The poet  uses the simile of the  lark to convey his emotions. Just as a lark rises from the "sullen earth" at "break of day", similarly the poet's mood changes when he thinks of his beloved. Like the lark "sings hymns at heaven's gate," so the poet's soul is refreshed with the thought of his beloved. The poet is  revived with hope.The final couplet of Sonnet 29 compares this happiness with the happiness enjoyed by kings. In fact, the poet's fortune is better than them as he has his beloved with him. 

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