Poem & Analysis of 'Sonnet 144' by William Shakespeare



POEM

Two Loves I Have (Sonnet 144)
William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616

Two loves I have of comfort and despair, 
Which like two spirits do suggest me still 
The better angel is a man right fair, 
The worser spirit a woman coloured ill. 
To win me soon to hell, my female evil 
Tempteth my better angel from my side, 
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil, 
Wooing his purity with her foul pride. 
And, whether that my angel be turn’d fiend, 
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell, 
But being both from me both to each friend, 
I guess one angel in another’s hell. 
   Yet this shall I ne’er know, but live in doubt, 
   Till my bad angel fire my good one out.

ANALYSIS

Between Love and Passion –Shakespeare’s Two Loves I Have

   This is a beautiful poem written by one of the greatest poet William Shakespeare. In this poem he talks about two forms of love. One is the result of an angel (fair youth).It is the source of comfort. Another is the result of a devil (dark lady). It is the source of pain and despair.

   The fair youth is tempted and taken away from him by the dark lady. He is entangled in her snare. The possibility of their union causes the poet great anguish and despair. Thus in the sonnet the fair youth and the dark lady are brought together and they represent two different forms of love- love and passion. Interestingly the poet is drawn by the both. The poet is caught by the contradictory pulls of love and passion which are united in a single whole. The poem also indicates towards the raging conflict in the mind of poet between love and passion. The poet lies between comfort of love and despair of passion. To the poet the better angel was fair youth and the worse spirit was dark lady. Towards the end, the poet suggests that the Dark lady tempted the fair youth from him and takes him to the hell of sin. The poet says that one angel is another’s hell.

   This poem is open for autobiographical, psychological and religious interpretations. Here the poet refers to the discard and distress because of triangular relationship of the poet with fair youth and dark lady.


Sandhya
2nd Yr. B.A (HEE)
Sahyadri Arts College
Shivamogga

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