thesis for sonnet 94

Shakespeare's Sonnets

By william shakespeare, shakespeare's sonnets summary and analysis of sonnet 94 - "they that have power to hurt and will do none".

What's he saying?

"They that have power to hurt and will do none / That do not do the thing they most do show,"

Those who have the ability to hurt but choose not to, who do not use that power even though they look most certain of having it,

"Who, moving others, are themselves as stone / Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow,"

Who, when moving others, are themselves still, unmoved, emotionally cold, and slow to temptation,

"They rightly do inherit heaven's graces / And husband nature's riches from expense;"

It is they who rightly inherit heaven's graces and spare nature's riches from ruin;

"They are the lords and owners of their faces / Others but stewards of their excellence."

They can control their facial expressions (thoughts and emotions), while others merely serve their emotions.

"The summer's flower is to the summer sweet / Though to itself it only live and die,"

The summer flower is sweet to the summer, though the flower lives and dies only for itself;

"But if that flower with base infection meet / The basest weed outbraves his dignity:"

But if that flower should develop an awful infection, the worst weed would outshine the flower in dignity:

"For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; / Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds."

For it is those things that are sweetest that can become sourest by their deeds; lilies that rot smell far worse than weeds.

Why is he saying it?

Sonnet 94 is often considered the most puzzling of the sonnets for its numerous metaphors and constructions that continue to elude scholarly consensus. To understand the sonnet properly, it is first necessary to understand its structure. Lines 1-8 comprise one long sentence, with "They that have power to hurt and will do none" the main subject. Line 9 presents the reader with an abrupt shift of scenery into a new metaphor - "The summer's flower" - that is the subject of the entire third quatrain. Finally, the couplet unites the two segments with a proverbial dictum reminiscent of a classical epigram that is highly relevant to the fair lord's precarious virtue.

The first line of the sonnet introduces the subject of the first and second quatrains as those who have power but do not use it. In the first quatrain, the poet describes this class of people as "Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow," like stone. However, he then argues in quatrain two that it is namely this privileged class of people, the self-controlled, who "rightly do inherit heaven's graces" and who are the guardians of "nature's riches," while all others are "but stewards of their excellence." The third quatrain drops the subject of the previous two and adopts that of "The summer's flower," an enigmatic metaphor that is later tied in with the preceding lines. The poet remarks that the summer finds the flower sweet even though the flower could not care less either way, for "to itself it only live and die." The poet also warns that should the flower become corrupted, the most lowly weed would have more dignity.

This sentiment is twice ingeminated in the lines of the closing couplet, Elizabethan remakes of the Latin optima corrupta pessima , or "the best become the worst when corrupted." The couplet weaves together the two segments of the sonnet, associating the privileged class of the first and second quatrains with the sweet, indifferent flower of quatrain three. Finally, note the sonnet's thoroughly impersonal language: the poet does not use "I" or "thou" anywhere in the sonnet, as though in some deliberate attempt to distance himself from these feelings to which he is emotionally vulnerable. Perhaps he is unable to bear the thought of his fair lord as baser than "the basest weed."

The metaphors in sonnet 94 are complex, intertwined, and deeply ambiguous, and perhaps this was the poet's intent. Lines 1-4 paint a mixed impression of the privileged class they describe: it is difficult to ascertain whether being "unmoved" and "cold" are good things or bad. Meanwhile lines 5-8 exalt the members of this class to a level of unparalleled superiority, although some have argued that there are hints of disdain or irony in the poet's words. In line 7, for instance, being "lords and owners of their faces" could be construed as a subtle accusation of duplicity or falsehood, a mismatch between the faces they put on and that which lies within. Likewise, how strong is the poet's criticism of the flower (perhaps a figure of his beloved) that "only live and die" with concern only for itself? Is it possible for the flower to be compassionate, or is it instead helplessly doomed to selfishness, or is it like those with self-controlled coldness of expression?

Finally, the structure of the couplet is another point of intrigue. The quatrains are clearly divided into two major thematic segments (lines 1-8 and lines 9-12). Is it thus unreasonable to imagine that this same division is fused into the couplet as well? Line 14 speaks of flowers ("Lilies"), taking up the same subject as the second segment of the quatrains. It might be argued, then, that line 13 refers back to the first segment - that the "sweetest things" are in fact the activities of the beloved who, "by their deeds," have turned the "sourest." Is the poet making a general statement here, or is he instead hinting at something specific, a cold breakup? Why is the subject of quatrains one and two plural while the subject of quatrain three is singular? This entire sonnet may be a riddle of sorts, the answer being a charge against the fair lord for having committed such deeds as have made him the sourest of all.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets Questions and Answers

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Summary of sonnet 18

Here the theme of the ravages of time again predominates; we see it especially in line 7, where the poet speaks of the inevitable mortality of beauty: "And every fair from fair sometime declines." But the fair lord's is of another sort, for it...

Part A In Sonnet 12 (“When I do count the clock that tells the time”), what do the images of passing time make the speaker wonder about the person he addresses? a. Will that person’s beauty fade? b. Will that person’s fame endure? c. d. Will that person a

a. Will that person’s beauty fade?

What is the message of Sonnet 18?

Shakespeare's main message is that which will fade in life (beauty) can be immortalized in verse.... his poetry will live forever.

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Shakespeare's Sonnets study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Essays for Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of various sonnets by William Shakespeare.

• Colonial Beauty in Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella" and Shaksespeare's Sonnets
• Beauty, As Expressed By Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
• From Autumn to Ash: Shakespeare's Sonnet 73
• Dark Beauties in Shakespeare's Sonnets and Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella"
• Human Discrepancy: Mortality and Money in Sonnet 146

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Sonnet 94: They that have power to hurt and will do none

By William Shakespeare

They that have power to hurt and will do none, That do not do the thing they most do show, Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow: They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces And husband nature’s riches from expense; They are the lords and owners of their faces, Others but stewards of their excellence. The summer’s flower is to the summer sweet Though to itself it only live and die, But if that flower with base infection meet, The basest weed outbraves his dignity: For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

Summary of Sonnet 94

• Popularity of “ Sonnet 94”: Written by William Shakespeare , the greatest English poet of his times and all times to come, this beautiful “Sonnet 94” is stated to have been published with the other sonnets in 1609. It is unclear when this sonnet was composed as it does not fall in other popular collections of those times, while its main idea , too, seems apart from Fair Youth sonnets. Shakespeare presents the idea of how unique and great figures set themselves apart from the common people like sweet flowers and how corruption worsens the condition of both. Herein lies the popularity of the poem .
• “Sonnet 94” As a Representative of Perfect Man Versus Corrupting Elements : The poet extols the features of a great person or an excellent figure saying that such persons or figures having great power to hurt others avoid doing things they have the power to do, move others but stay stoic and patient and show coldness even when getting emotional. Such people have the blessings of God. The poet continues with the same strain saying that these people do not go out of the natural limits and are lord of their fates. They are similar to the flowers that grow in summer only and then die. However, if such flowers have a bad smell instead of a good one, then they destroy their dignity. Similarly, a lowly action done by such a great figure also mars the reputation of such a person as weeds worsen lilies.
• Major Themes in “Sonnet 94”: Features of a perfect figure, great men versus sweet flowers, and corruption of great figures are the major themes of this sonnet. The poet uses an extended simile of a sweet flower of summer to compare a great figure, arguing that if a powerful, stoic, patient, and strong power lives in the restraints set by nature, such a powerful figure is the greatest of all. He stands apart from the common populace. The same goes for the summer flower that only grows in summer and does not grow in every other weather. However, when it gets corrupted with weeds, the same goes with the good and perfect figure when he/she does lowly acts. In fact, such people often harm themselves and their reputation similar to lilies that grow with the basest things such as weeds. In fact, the main argument of Shakespeare is that great persons often taint their reputation with lowly acts.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 94

William Shakespeare ’s use of literary devices is matchless and unparalleled. He used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of this sonnet. Some of the major literary devices are as follows.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ and /a/ in “Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds” and the sound of /i/ in “That do not do the thing they most do show.”
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick successions, such as the sound of /s/ in “summer sweet.”
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /d/ in “That do not do the thing they most do show” and the sound of /f/ in “But if that flower with base infection meet.”
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. William Shakespeare used imagery in this poem, such as “They that have power to hurt and will do none”, “Who, moving others, are themselves as stone” and “And husband nature’s riches from expense.”
• Metaphor : It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used the metaphor of sweet flowers for the great person.
• Simile : It means the direct comparison of things to show or clarify the meanings of the things being compared. The poem shows the use of a simile as he compares great persons to stones.
• Symbolism : Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as stone, cold, heaven, riches, lords and fates to show how the great people wield power in their hands and how they use it.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 94

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction : It means the type of language. The sonnet shows good use of formal and poetic diction .
• End Rhyme : It means to use verses having matching end words, such as none/stone and show/slow used in this sonnet.
• Quatrain : It is a Persian stanza having four verses. The sonnet shows the use of a quatrain such as the first stanza.
• Rhyme Scheme : This Shakespearean sonnet shows ABAB in quatrains and AA in the couplet .
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three quatrains and a couplet.
• Sonnet : It is a fourteen-lined poem. This poem is a sonnet.
• Tone : It means the voice of the text. The sonnet shows an analytical, expository and rational tone .

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote when talking about the greatness of extraordinary people.

They that have power to hurt and will do none, That do not do the thing they most do show, Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow:

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Sonnet 94: They That Have Power To Hurt, And Will Do None

They that have power to hurt, and will do none, That do not do the thing they most do show, Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow; They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces, And husband nature’s riches from expense; They are the lords and owners of their faces, Others, but stewards of their excellence. The summer’s flower is to the summer sweet, Though to itself, it only live and die, But if that flower with base infection meet, The basest weed outbraves his dignity: For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.

Sonnet 94 in modern English

They who have the power to hurt and won’t do it; who seem to be the epitome of some act but won’t commit it, who arouse others to sexual excitement but are themselves like stone-cold, unemotional, and not easily led into temptation – they will rightly inherit heaven’s graces and prevent nature’s treasures from being wasted. They are in possession of themselves; the rest are only managing their beauty for others’ use. The summer flower is lovely when at its peak, although it’s only fulfilling its function of living and dying, but if it falls victim to a serious infection the vilest weed will be better because the sweetest things become the most unattractive as a result of their bad deeds. Rotting lilies smell far worse than weeds.

Listen to Sir John Gielgud read Shakespeare’s sonnet 94

The 1609 Quarto sonnet 94 version

THey that haue powre to hurt,and will doe none, That doe not do the thing,they moſt do ſhowe, Who mouing others,are themſelues as ſtone, Vnmooued,could,and to temptation ſlow: They rightly do inherrit heauens graces, And husband natures ritches from expence, They are the Lords and owners of their faces, Others,but ſtewards of their excellence: The ſommers flowre is to the ſommer ſweet, Though to it ſelfe,it onely liue and die, But if that flowre with baſe infection meete, The baſeft weed out-braues his dignity: For ſweeteſt things turne ſowreſt by their deedes, Lillies that feſter,ſmell far worſe then weeds.

See the British Library’s 1609 Quarto .

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Shakespeare's Sonnets - Sonnet 94

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Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015

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This sonnet describes a category of especially blessed and powerful people who appear to exert complete control over their lives and themselves. These persons are then implicitly compared to flowers and contrasted with weeds, the poem concluding with a warning to such persons in the form of a proverb about lilies.

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They that have power to hurt and will do none (Sonnet 94)

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They that have power to hurt and will do none That do not do the thing they most do show, Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow; They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces And husband nature’s riches from expense; They are the lords and owners of their faces, Others but stewards of their excellence. The summer’s flower is to the summer sweet, Though to itself it only live and die, But if that flower with base infection meet, The basest weed outbraves his dignity:     For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;     Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

This poem is in the public domain.

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The amazing web site of Shakespeare's Sonnets. Commentary. Sonnet 94.

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SONNET XXXVIII

Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets Shakescleare Translation

Shakespeare's Sonnets Translation Sonnet 94

They that have pow'r to hurt, and will do none, That do not do the thing they most do show, Who moving others are themselves as stone, Unmovèd, cold, and to temptation slow, They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces, And husband nature’s riches from expense. They are the lords and owners of their faces; Others but stewards of their excellence. The summer’s flow'r is to the summer sweet, Though to itself it only live and die. But if that flow'r with base infection meet, The basest weed outbraves his dignity. For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

People who have the power to hurt, but will not do any, Who do not do the thing that they most seem to be doing, Who move others but are themselves like stone , Unmoved, cold, and slow to respond to temptation, They correctly inherit heaven's blessings, And manage nature's riches so that they are not wasted. They are the masters of their own emotions; Others are only the caretakers of their virtues. The summer's flower is sweet to the summer, Although by itself it only lives and dies. But if that flower meets a disgusting  infection , The lowliest weed surpasses its dignity. Sweetest things turn the most sour by the wrong actions; Lilies that are rotten smell far worse than weeds.

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