Shakespeare Fans discussion

Being your slave, what should I do but tend
Upon the hours and times of your desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend,
Nor services to do, till you require.
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour
Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you.
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour
When you have bid your servant once adieu;
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,
But like a sad slave, stay and think of nought,
Save, where you are how happy you make those.
So true a fool is love that in your will
Though you do anything, he thinks no ill.

Interesting reference to "my sovereign." And "your servant", and "where you are how happy you make those." I'd love to conjure up a dalliance between Elizabeth and Will : ) Certainly she was capable of it, and the era was rife with court dalliances, and why wouldn't she be fascinated with this youngish man who created such a stir with his words? Especially his words about royalty.

And it did occur to me (after the previous poem) that because S was such a perceptive man of profound understanding of integrity and honor, wouldn't it take someone as powerful or irresistible as a head of state or at the least a well-placed woman of high standing to lure him away from his principles?

Or, am I just being a romantic.

Janice: Interesting reference to "my sovereign."

Sonnet 57 and 58 are connected by the relationship of "slave" and "sovereign." Some set the speaker to W. Shakespeare and addressee a fair youth. This reading is a little bit odd, especially for sonnet 58.

By setting them to wife and husband, both sonnets can be smoothly read. Maybe it's a metaphor (which would make Shakespeare a woman), or, a dark lady inserted her sonnets here. If collaboration happened in plays, why not in sonnets? why not a female?

"Sovereign" in line 6 is one way to call a husband in Shakespeare:

KATHERINA.
Thy husband is thy Lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign.—The Taming of the Shrew

"That God forbid, that made me first your slave" may come from Bible, "Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them" (Col. 3:19).

Sonnet 57

BEing your slaue what should I doe but tend, [01]
Vpon the houres, and times of your desire?
I haue no precious time at al to spend;
Nor seruices to doe til you require.

Nor dare I chide the world without end houre, [05]
Whilst I (my soueraine) watch the clock for you,
Nor thinke the bitternesse of absence sowre,
When you haue bid your seruant once adieue.

Nor dare I question with my iealious thought, [09]
Where you may be, or your affaires suppose,
But like a sad slaue stay and thinke of nought
Saue where you are, how happy you make those.

So true a foole is loue, that in your Will, [13]
(Though you doe any thing) he thinkes no ill.