# Sonnet XXXIII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

The poet reflects on how a glorious morning can be obscured by clouds, drawing a parallel to the friend's brief radiance in his life now hidden by a cloud of disgrace. Despite this, the poet's love remains undiminished, acknowledging that even the sun itself can be stained.

## Themes in this chapter

### Beauty and Transience

The glorious morning and the friend's radiance are fleeting, obscured by clouds and time.

### Love and Desire

The poet's love remains constant despite the friend's disgrace, mirroring the sun's ability to be stained without losing its essence.

## Character check-ins

### William Shakespeare

The speaker who observes the fleeting beauty of the morning and the friend's radiance.

### Youth

The young man addressed as 'my sun' whose splendor was briefly present and then obscured.

## Key lines

> 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

I have often witnessed a beautiful morning that adorns the mountain peaks with its majestic gaze, touches the green fields with its golden light, and transforms dull streams into shining gold as if by magic.

_The poet describes the sun's initial splendor and its alchemical effect on the landscape._

> Even so my sun one early morn did shine With all-triumphant splendour on my brow; But out, alack! he was but one hour mine; The region cloud hath mask’d him from me now.

In the same way, my own sun—the young man—once shone triumphantly upon me, but alas, he was mine for only a short time; now a cloud has hidden him from my sight.

_The poet compares the friend's brief radiance to the morning sun, now obscured by a metaphorical cloud._

> Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth; Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.

Nevertheless, my love for him is not diminished by this; earthly suns can be tarnished just as the heavenly sun itself can be obscured.

_The poet affirms that his love remains unchanged, accepting that imperfection is natural._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters/xxxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters