When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time’ waste.
These are the opening lines of Remembrance written by William Shakespeare. Here, the poet tells of thoughts of past griefs and losses. He uses the image of a sifting of a court of law. Just as witnesses are called in a court of law to give evidence, so memory of the poet is called to give evidence about past happenings. The poet calls memory to bear witness as in a court of law. He is holding, as if it were, an assembly of fresh and unspoiled thoughts and memory is called up to record its evidence before it. The poet Laments the loss of many things that he hankered after. With a sense of past griefs, he now regrets afresh the loss of his previous time in vain pursuits. His time has been wasted in a sense in seeking the things which he now lacks.
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These lines are remarkable because they express the true voice of the feelings of Shakespeare. His language, here, is simple, sensuous and passionate.
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow, For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night, And weep afresh love’s long since cancelled woe, And moan th’ expense of many a vanished sight;
These lines occur in the second quatrain of Shakespeare’s sonnet entitled Remembrance. Here, the poet tells of thoughts of past griefs and losses. When he recalls the last, he becomes sad to find that his time has been wasted in seeking the things which he now lacks. His eyes have not been accustomed to shedding tears. When the mind of the poet turns back to the past, his eyes are drenched with tears of thoughts of beloved friends who are hidden in the endless darkness of death. These friends are separated from him by the never ending period of darkness connected with death. He can weep once again for the forgotten sorrows of death. He remembers many objects now lost once cost him and laments their loss.
These lines are important because they express the sincere feelings of Shakespeare in simple, sensuous and passionate language.
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone, And heavily from woe to woe tell o’er The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan, Which I new pay as if not paid before.
These lines form the part of Shakespearean Sonnet entitled Remembrance. Here, the poet recalls his past griefs and losses. His eyes are filled with tears at the thoughts of friends who are dead. He laments once again the forgotten sorrows of love. He feels grief at the thoughts of pain experienced by him in the past. He recounts his past experiences of sorrow and pain. The poet uses a metaphor from monetary transactions. He sadly counts the experiences of sorrow endured by him in the past and presents an account of them. It appears that he is in heavy debt arising from his grief and he has to discharge the debt. That is he has to repeat his experiences of undergoing pain as if he had not experienced them earlier.
These lines are remarkable because they give vent to the deeply felt emotion of Shakespeare. His language, here, is simple, sensuous and passionate.
But if the while I But if I think of you Think on thee, dear while I am in this friend, State of sadness, dear friend, All losses are All my losses are restored and compensated For sorrows end and, my sorrow ends.
This is the concluding couplet in the Shakespearean sonnet entitled Remembrance. It introduces a surprise or negation. In the above three quatrains, the poet tells of thoughts of past griefs and losses. He laments the loss of many things he looked for and he feels grief at the thoughts of earlier friends who are dead and gone. In the present couplet, he addresses his young friend and says that at such a time as his indulgence in past griefs, he thinks of his young friend. All the losses previously sustained by him are replaced and his sorrows are over. In other words he can derive inward satisfaction by thinking of his young friend and this removes the thoughts of his past grief. Thoughts of sorrow are, thus, negated here. The couplet in this sonnet, thus, suddenly swings the reader into a point of view antithetical to that developed in the previous quatrains. Sadness brought by the thought of the death of his earlier friends gives place to sense of joy and reconciliation to a single friendship.
These lines are remarkable because they express the true voice of the feelings of Shakespeare. His language, here, is simple, sensuous and passionate.
In conclusion,
William Shakespeare’s poem “Remembrance” serves as a poignant expression of human emotions, capturing the essence of sorrow, loss, and the redemptive power of friendship. Through the imagery of a court trial, the poet summons memories of the past, reflecting on unfulfilled desires and lamenting the absence of cherished moments.
The evocative language and heartfelt sentiments resonate deeply with readers, as Shakespeare skillfully portrays the ebb and flow of human emotions. From tears shed for departed friends to the longing for what once was, the poem showcases the poet’s ability to evoke powerful feelings through simple and sensuous verses.
Ultimately, the poem takes an unexpected turn in the concluding couplet, as the focus shifts to a cherished friendship that brings solace and renewal. In this shift, Shakespeare offers a glimpse of hope amidst the sorrow, highlighting the profound impact of human connections.
“Remembrance” remains a timeless testament to the enduring power of poetry, as Shakespeare’s words continue to touch hearts and souls across generations. The poet’s ability to evoke the complexities of the human experience through beautifully crafted verses ensures that this ode to memories and friendship will forever be cherished and celebrated in the vast tapestry of literary masterpieces.
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