Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

 

Thy looks should nothing thence but sweetness tell.

Sonnet 93                Line 12

Well, that seems like a sweet thought, but belikes we should take a look at the whole sonnet

So shall I live, supposing thou art true,
Like a deceived husband; so love’s face
May still seem love to me, though altered new;
Thy looks with me, thy heart in other place:
For there can live no hatred in thine eye,
Therefore in that I cannot know thy change.
In many’s looks the false heart’s history
Is writ in moods and frowns and wrinkles strange;
But heaven in thy creation did decree
That in thy face sweet love should ever dwell;
Whate’er thy thoughts or thy heart’s workings be,
Thy looks should nothing thence but sweetness tell.
        How like Eve’s apple doth thy beauty grow,
        If thy sweet virtue answer not thy show!

Exclamation point! It ends with an exclamation point!

Couple of things:
Unlike most of the plays, the sonnets were published in Will’s lifetime, if I’m not mistaken, by him. Therefore, unlike the plays, there’s really no question about their exact correct form, and presumably that is really Will’s exclamation point.
Now I don’t remember what the other thing was. Oh well.

Anyway, today’s line is the last line in the third quatrain. I read it and thought, well that’s a sweet thought. But now that I’ve read/written the whole thing, well, I’m not so sure. So let’s take a bit of a closer look.

Q1. I’m just gonna go on assuming that you love me, and that’s what I’ll see in your face, even though I know you love someone else (well that doesn’t sound very pleasant).
Q2. (This one’s a bit tougher, gotta re-read it a few times. It’s a little odd in that there’s a period halfway through; so, two separate thoughts?)
Since you’re incapable of showing hatred, I won’t notice any change in you. Many people plainly show their cheating heart all over their face.
Q3. But in your face, only love can show. It doesn’t matter what you’re thinking or feeling, your face will show nothing but sweetness.
Concluding Lines. Your beauty will grow like Eve’s apple, if your true feelings (or non-feelings) for me never show in your face. (like Eve’s apple?)

Okay, like I said: I had read Today’s Totally Random Line and thought something nice was being said. But now that I’ve read and written out the whole thing, and paraphrased it as well, I can see that it’s not terribly sweet at all. I mean, it’s clear that this woman doesn’t love him, but also that her face will always show that she does, even though we know that she loves someone else. So what good is that?  I guess Will is stating that it’s about as good as Eve’s apple, and we all know what Eve’s apple got us. Oy!

I'll bet you thought I was going to give you a picture of an apple. Hah! Too easy. No, this is a picture of a dish of snails. Yes, snails. 

Now, rather than being something that looks pleasant but isn't (like Eve's apple), I give something that doesn't look or sound pleasant, but is. At least that's what I hear. 

I've been told they're delicious, but I've never actually eaten snails; just can't get past the look or the idea of eating snails. 

But don't let that stop you.

Bon appetit!