Sonnet CLIII explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Love and Desire

  The poet's love and desire are depicted as a sickness that only his mistress's eyes can cure.

• Lust and Morality

  Cupid's fire, associated with lust, is repurposed for healing, yet the poet's own lust remains unquenched.

Characters to notice

• Cupid

  Cupid lays aside his brand and falls asleep, allowing his fire to be stolen.

• Love

  Love's brand is used to create a healing bath, but the poet's cure is found only in his mistress's eyes.

Key passages

• “Cupid laid by his brand, and fell asleep: A maid of Dian’s this advantage found, And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep In a cold valley-fountain of that ground;”

  Cupid put down his torch and fell asleep, and a servant of Diana seized the chance to dip his love-igniting fire into a cold spring in a valley.

  The maid steals Cupid's fire to create a healing bath.

• “But at my mistress’ eye Love’s brand new-fired, The boy for trial needs would touch my breast; I, sick withal, the help of bath desired, And thither hied, a sad distemper’d guest, But found no cure: the bath for my help lies Where Cupid got new fire⁠—my mistress’ eyes.”

  But Love's torch was rekindled in my mistress's eye, and Cupid, to test it, touched my chest; I, now lovesick, sought the bath's remedy and went there as a sorrowful patient, but found no cure—the true cure lies where Cupid got his new fire: my mistress's eyes.

  The poet realizes that only his mistress's eyes can heal his love-sickness.