Appreciation of Shakespeare's A Consolation

XII. A Consolation

WHEN in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate;
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,	5
Featured like him, like him with friends possest,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on Thee—and then my state,	10
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd, such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Consolation is a graceful sonnet composed by the great Elizabethan sonneteer William Shakespeare. He was a graduate from the school of life and it was his contribution to the English literature that it is now immortal. The Elizabethan age reached to its epitome of glory in the writings of Shakespeare. He was able to portray society as well as human emotions. He worked diligently to make the Elizabethan literature outstanding and succeed in doing so. The sonnet Consolation shows the writer to be in a sad mood. Shakespeare believed that there is immortality in art. The poet as we mentioned earlier ins in a sad mood because he feels he is unable to get what he desires from his life. He is not getting applause for his labors and he is disgraced. He is experiencing bad luck and thus is weeping alone. The poet is cursing his fate and is lamenting but the cruel heaven is not listening to him. The speaker wants to be a rich and wealthy man of society so that he can have friends. He had seen that wealthy people had numerous friends and he is friendless. Personification of heaven is observed in the first quatrain of the sonnet. The speaker is not contented with his position and wants all the privileges which the rich enjoy. He wants the reputation of others so that he can enjoy his life.

 In his melancholic mood he thinks about his friend and the mere thinking of poet’s friend makes the poet happy and optimistic. His sad and grief stricken mood changes into happy and enjoyable mood. The poet here presents the picture of lark, which is an image of happiness and brightness. The lark is believed to be flying at greater heights and singing hymns at heaven’s gate. The poet’s thinking of his friends makes him enthusiastic and he starts recovering from his sad state. He feels as if heaven who is said deaf in the beginning is listening to him. The thought of poet’s friend rejuvenates him; he says in the concluding couplet of sonnet that he is ready to reject the offer of king also if his dear friend is with him. The language of the sonnet is easy and diction employed is simple. Poet has compared the joys of remembrance to joys of king. Simile is used in the sonnet for example: Like to the lark. Personification of heaven is also seen. The deaf heaven in the beginning of the sonnet starts listening to poet’s grief in the end which shows the reversal of mood. The sonnet has served it’s purpose gracefully. The sad mood of the poet changes into happy mood by the end and thus the sonnet is very nice and enjoyable. The writer has succeeded in painting his emotions in a precise and compact manner.

© Manjari Shukla

(Original)Copyright Protected

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Notes Prepared by consulting books during My Graduation from Patna Women's College(2006-2009)