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Marguerite
SONNET NO. 43
When most I wink then do mine eyes best see
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.
Then thou whose shadow-shadows doth make bright
How would thy shadows form, form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!
How would (I say) mine eyes be blessed made
By looking on thee in the living day
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay
All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee.
Note the repetition of certain words, we find-mine eyes,
mine eyes, eyes, eyes, see, see, see, day, day, days, days, bright,
bright, bright, shade, shade, night, nights, nights, dreams,
dreams, shadow, shadows, shadows.
1st Line. Wink-close my eyes-sleep.
2nd Line. Unrespected-unnoticed.
11th Line. Imperfect-because it is only the shadow of what
is perfect.
Here Bacon, addressing Marguerite, writes that when he is
asleep he dreams that his eyes look on thee. A shadow which
shadows make bright as in a clear day and shine to unseeing
eyes and his eyes are blessed by looking on her in daylight.
But in the dead of night- her fair imperfect shade stays with
him though his eyes are sightless because he is asleep and that
all days are nights until he can see the bright days when his
dreams show him her once more.
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