Monday, January 09, 2012
Shakespeare Sonnet--When in Disgrace
William Shakespeare - Sonnet #29
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,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
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,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
This is one of my favorite Shakespearean sonnets. It describes how we may feel when "things are not going right" in our lives. In the first line, he speaks of "fortune and men's eyes." During the Renaissance, "Fortune" (what we might call "Lady Luck") was of major importance. She was often depicted as sitting atop a wheel (the wheel of chance?) and as she moved up and down she carried us with her. In this poem, the speaker is definitely "in the pits" as we might say.
He cries out to heaven for help, but his cries are "bootless". Perhaps he means they are as useless as a swift kick would be with bare feet.
These are the times when we compare ourselves to others and feel that "they have it made"--some seem to have better prospects, are better looking, are blessed with more friends, and have more talent. At times like these, nothing satisfies us, even those things that usually give us the most delight.
And then, at the end, the mood shifts. "Haply I think on thee"...obviously the speaker here is referring to a lover or friend, But what if, instead of a human subject, we thought of this line as referring to Kundalini itself and the deep sense of divine connection and exhileration that it brings. We realize how very lucky we are to have such experiences in our lives. Even the memory of such times of connection helps to lift our spirits, reminding us that we need not succumb to despair, for we know at our deepest level that the sacred is real and that we are a part of it, no matter what our external circumstances may be.
