Poetry · Chapter
Sonnet 15 explained
The speaker describes his restless anticipation for dawn, listening to Philomela's song while longing for his beloved.
What happens
The speaker describes his restless anticipation for dawn, listening to Philomela's song while longing for his beloved. He experiences a mix of sorrow and solace as he is told to return tomorrow, and he laments how time drags when he is apart from her.
Themes in this chapter
Time and Mortality
The speaker's perception of time is distorted by longing; minutes feel like moons, and night drags on when separated from the beloved.
Love and Desire
The speaker's intense desire for his beloved is expressed through his restless waiting and the emotional turmoil of hope mixed with sorrow.
Characters to notice
- Philomela
The speaker listens to Philomela's song while waiting for dawn.
Key passages
“Lord, how mine eyes throw gazes to the east!”
Oh, how my eyes keep looking toward the east for the sunrise.
The speaker expresses his eager anticipation for dawn.
“Sorrow changed to solace, solace mix’d with sorrow;”
My sadness turns to comfort, but comfort is mixed with sadness.
The speaker's emotions are conflicted between hope and disappointment.
“Were I with her, the night would post too soon; But now are minutes added to the hours;”
If I were with her, the night would pass quickly; but now each minute feels like an hour.
Time feels slow and burdensome when separated from the beloved.