Renassiance Sonnets

Edmund Spencer Sonnet

Fair eyes, the mirror of my mazed heart, A

What wondrous virtue is contained in you, B

The which both life and death forth from you dart A

Into the object of your mighty view? B

For when ye mildly look with lovely hew, B

Then is my soul with life and love inspired C

But when ye lour, or look on me askew, B

Then do I die, as one with lightning fired. C

But since that life is more than death desired, C

Look ever lovely, as becomes you best, D

That your bright beams of my weak eyes admired, C

May kindle living fire within my breast. D

Such life should be the honor of your light E

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Such death the sad ensample of your might. E

In the first section it seems as if he is writing about someone who is looking into the mirror and saying that their eyes are beautiful and that their eyes has mazed or confused his heart, which mean this person must be in a daze by the beauty of the other person. He is basically asking the person how did you become so excellent or amusing. Then it also talks about how the person is darting from life and death into the object of beauty, which to me means that the person is so beautiful that they have to dodge their own view in the mirror.

The second section talks about when the person looks at him straight it touches and inspire him but when the person looks at him all crazy it hurt him inside and makes him want to die or make him feel like he been struck by lightning. Then in the third part it says that since he doesn't desire to die can the person look at him lovely or at their best, and then he will admire the beautiful look because it will make him feel good inside.

Then at the end he basically saying that the person beautiful look should be the honor of his light and that beauty shows and gives an example of what might or might not happen including death.

Shakespeare Sonnet

As an unperfect actor on the stage A

Who with his fear is put besides his part, B

Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage, A

Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart. B

So I, for fear of trust, forget to say C

The perfect ceremony of love's rite, D

And in mine own love's strength seem to decay, C

O'ercharged with burden of mine own love's might. D

O, let my books be then the eloquence E

And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, F

Who plead for love and look for recompense E

More than that tongue that more hath more express'd. F

O, learn to read what silent love hath writ: G

To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit. G

The first part is talking about an actor that is fearful of playing his part and is basically beside himself and is fierce and full with lots of rage. He have an abundance or lots of strength but he is weak in his own heart. In the second section he is talking about how the person is fearful and can not trust. I t also talks about how he wants a perfect ceremony of love, but when he's in love his strength seems to decay or rotten and he can't be strong, and he don't have lots of strentghts because the love takes over him and the he has no control. In the third section he is talking about how he talks graceful and that he can foresee good things happening because he feel it in his heart. He also talks about pleading for love and expecting something to happen or expecting to get something back. Then the last two line talks about how you should know how to read love and know which love belongs to you.