The extended metaphor of sonnet 33 dramatizes clouds hiding the sun. The sun represents the speaker's writing talent or muse, and the clouds are lulls in inspiration.
The extended metaphor of sonnet 33 dramatizes clouds hiding the sun. The sun represents the speaker’s writing talent or muse, and the clouds are lulls in inspiration.
First Quatrain: “Full many a glorious morning have I seen”
In the first quatrain of sonnet 33, the speaker reports having seen the sun on a “glorious morning” when they “Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye.” The morning is made glorious by the golden-rich light of the life-giving star. He has also watched as the sun “kiss[es] with golden face the meadows green.” The kiss of the sun literally turns the meadows green.
And on “pale streams” he has observed the sun light “gilding [the streams] with heavenly alchemy.” The sun’s rays seem to magically transform the water of a common brook into a celestial vision.
Second Quatrain: “Anon permit the basest clouds to ride”
However, as soon as the speaker has seen the wondrous marvels that the sun performs on earthly things, that same heroic orb allows “the basest clouds” to hide the glorious rays. The sun allows those ugly clouds to keep its beautiful face hidden as it continues its movement across the day from east to west.
The speaker adamantly compares the clouds negatively with the sun and even deems the fact the sun permits itself to be hidden by such “ugly rack” to be a “disgrace.”
Third Quatrain: “Even so my sun one early morn did shine”
In the third quatrain, the speaker asserts that one morning quite early the sun was shining all-gloriously on his very “brow,” and the first thing you know, another cloud came along and “mask’d” the wonderful rays from his face. He was allowed the glory of the sun on his face “but one hour.”
The Couplet: “Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth”
But the speaker vows that despite its so easily giving in to hiding behind clouds, he loves the bright star no less and avers “Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.” Regardless of whether the rays are visible to those on earth, the sun continues to influence all living creatures and all phenomena such as mountain-tops, meadows, and streams.
Commentary
Sonnet 33 is highly metaphorical; it is, in fact, an extended metaphor. The sun is a metaphor for the artist’s talent or muse, and the clouds represent the intermittent lulls in inspiration to create. Therefore the artist can realize that despite the lulls, the talent, like the sun, is always present, always the motivation that keeps the artist’s love alive.
Other articles on Shakespeare: Who is Shakespeare?
Sonnet Commentaries: Sonnet 1, Sonnet 2, Sonnet 3, Sonnet 4, Sonnet 5, Sonnet 6, Sonnet 7, Sonnet 8, Sonnet 9, Sonnet 10, Sonnet 11, Sonnet 12, Sonnet 13, Sonnet 14, Sonnet 15, Sonnet 16, Sonnet 17, Sonnet 18, Sonnet 19, Sonnet 20, Sonnet 21, Sonnet 22, Sonnet 23, Sonnet 24, Sonnet 25, Sonnet 26, Sonnet 27, Sonnet 28, Sonnet 29, Sonnet 30, Sonnet 31, Sonnet 32, Sonnet 73, Sonnet 116, Sonnet 126, Sonnet 130, Sonnet 138
