Mojo, The Bard, & Me

Full many a glorious morning have I seen

Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye,

Kissing with golden face the meadows green,

Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy;

Anon permit the basest clouds to ride

With ugly rack on his celestial face,

And from the forlorn world his visage hide,

Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace:

Even so my sun one early morn did shine

With all-triumphant splendor on my brow;

But, out, alack! he was but one hour mine,

The region cloud hath maskt him from me now.

Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth;

Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.

Sonnet 33

We've picked a sonnet today, and I was with it right up to the last line, then Will lost me. I really thought I had it. I’ve got to tell you, the sonnets are tough. And part of the problem is that they’re not written separately, they’re supposedly part of some confusing long story.

Well let’s see, you can pretty much break a sonnet up into sections; lines 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, and the last two lines. Let’s try that with this one.

First four - I’ve seen many a glorious morning spread its brilliance over the world.

Second four - Then the clouds show up and hide the suns face.

Third four -  Just like that, my sun (my love? My son?) shone his brilliance on me, but then the region cloud  (not sure what that is) hid him/her from me.

Final two – Yet, in spite of this, my love for him/her is not in the least hidden. Sons or lovers of the world may hide when, or just like, the sun hides.

Well there you go; I think I nearly got it. What do you think?

 

Okay, here's a clear sky in Beijing. The only thing hiding the sun here is pollution.