Old Journal Entry On William Shakespeare's Sonnet 71: #3

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Entry 3 – October 31, 2011

Wow. After consulting with two notable Shakespearean critics – Amanda Mabillard and W. J. Rolfe – I have found some incongruities which I would like to address. First and foremost, I have been consistently mistaken in my belief that the silent auditor within the poem was the speaker's lover. There is evidence to suggest that the speaker within Sonnet 71 is Shakespeare himself. According to Rolfe, there are many who believe that the collection of sonnets – including sonnet 71 – were in nature autobiographical because of their dedication to a certain Mr. W. H. (Shakespeare's p. XIV)

Accordingly, sonnet 71 was actually written for one of Shakespeare's patrons, a man by the name of Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. This is where things begin to get interesting. Supposedly, the speaker is a notably older man, addressing the idealized form of a young man – Southampton (Mabillard par. 2). Keeping this in mind, the traditional interpretation of a lover becomes that of a dear friend. However, the extend of affection shown by the speaker seems to suggest something more than friendship – romance, perhaps. In her critique, Mabillard acknowledges the relationship between an older and younger man, but still refers to the silent auditor as the lover. It raises questions about the implied sexuality of Shakespeare, but we shall leave that sensitive topic alone.

Very little criticism was given to the sonnet as an individual entity. Both critics speak favorably about the sonnet, citing the good use of syntax; namely figurative devices. While Rolfe likens the speaker's tone to modesty, Mabillard suggests that it negatively connotes self-pity. I agree with the latter's opinion in that the speaker highlights the miserable condition of his life. Whether this is conducive to the author's melancholic mood or an attempt to evoke pity for the reader, I do not know for sure. However, I thought that this tone of self-pity greatly undermined the obvious purpose of the speaker; one seeking to lessen the pain caused by his death. At this point, I suspect that Shakespeare may have been trying to say the opposite of the poem's superficial context. He may be asking the auditor to keep memory of him even after his death.

Written for English Literature 12