“Sonnet 71” by Shakespeare

Most people know Shakespeare for his plays, such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Macbeth” and “Hamlet.” He was also, however, a gifted poet, penning 154 sonnets. In 1609, he wrote “Sonnet 71.”

“Sonnet 71” was part of a series of poems known as the “Fair Youth” sequence. This sequence takes the point of view, or persona, of an older man in love with a younger man. In Shakespeare’s day, these kinds of relationships were not ordinarily discussed but neither were they uncommon. It was not unusual for a man to have a wife and children and a “companion” on the side.

In any event, “Sonnet 71” tells the younger man how to deal with the persona’s death. He exhorts his lover to:

“No longer mourn for me when I am dead.

Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell

Give warning to the world that I am fled

From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell”

He states that he does not want the younger man to speak of him, to reread the things he wrote or even to think of him.

At first the meaning of the sonnet appears obvious. The persona does not want his lover to think of him at all lest these thoughts bring additional grief.

But Shakespeare was a sly and subtle author. He often wrote in riddles and puzzles, and what he said was not always what he meant. Some experts who have analyzed “Sonnet 71” believe that the persona’s parting message to his young friend was not to forget his older friend but instead to carry his memory and to continue to speak of his works, the very thing the persona purports not to want. After all, Shakespeare himself coined the phrase, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” (“Hamlet”).

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Also, the existence of the sonnet itself assumes that the lover will almost certainly come back to reread the things the speaker once wrote. Furthermore, asking the lover repeatedly not to do something is one way to practically make sure that that very thing will be done. It’s the same type of psychology as telling someone not to think of a purple elephant.

In other words, Shakespeare may have written “Sonnet 71” to comfort his loved one, but it is equally possible that he wrote it to try to maintain the fame he pretends to eschew or even that he meant to share a final touch of irony with his friends and loved ones.

Shakespeare wrote so copiously and so well, it is always worth the trouble to examine his words for nuances, double entendres and hidden meanings. Wikipedia is a good place to start, because it offers a quick and easy look at great works of literature and can help you find additional sources to search if you are interested.

The last few lines of “Sonnet 71” read

“Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,

But let your love with my life decay;

Lest the wise world should look into your moan,

And mock you with me after I am gone.”

A rather clumsy attempt at comfort? Or perhaps a more successful stab at irony.