Long Distance Relationships in Shakespeare's 44th Sonnet
Love’s Far Reaches
Thomas Fuller once said, “Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.” Nothing is more painful than not being able to be with one’s true love and long distance relationships often do not last. This can be caused by many elements that cannot be controlled. In Shakespeare’s 44th sonnet, the speaker reveals the obstacles of distance, time, and his physical self which block him from his lover.
The poem begins with the speaker’s fantasy about overcoming the great distance between him and his lover. He has a theory that “injurious distance should not stop [his] way” if he were to transcend his physical body and become an idea (Line 2). Being human has hindered his ability to be with his partner. He envisions something lighter that cannot be weighted down because he sees his “flesh” as a heavy burden keeping him from his prize (Line 1). This fantasy brings him away from actuality for a while and gives him hope. The “thought” he refers to is intangible and able to float above land (Line 1). Furthermore, he reveals that if this transformation were to occur, “despite of space” he would be brought to “where [his love] dost stay.” (Lines 3,4). He is engrossed in finding an answer to his problem, because of the passion he feels for his partner. He dreams of a situation in which love overcomes physical barriers. Although his solution is impossible, it gives him some temporary relief towards the pang of loneliness.
In the second quatrain, the poet further explores the options after his conversion into the weightless nature of a thought. Again he states that it would not matter how far away he was from his loved one, for he would be extremely portable. “For nimble thought can jump both sea and land.” (Line 7) He presents this idea one again, further emphasizing the huge convenience of being in this state. Nothing would stand in the way of his beloved. In the last line of the quatrain, the speaker observes that he would arrive to his desired destination
Thomas Fuller once said, “Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.” Nothing is more painful than not being able to be with one’s true love and long distance relationships often do not last. This can be caused by many elements that cannot be controlled. In Shakespeare’s 44th sonnet, the speaker reveals the obstacles of distance, time, and his physical self which block him from his lover.
The poem begins with the speaker’s fantasy about overcoming the great distance between him and his lover. He has a theory that “injurious distance should not stop [his] way” if he were to transcend his physical body and become an idea (Line 2). Being human has hindered his ability to be with his partner. He envisions something lighter that cannot be weighted down because he sees his “flesh” as a heavy burden keeping him from his prize (Line 1). This fantasy brings him away from actuality for a while and gives him hope. The “thought” he refers to is intangible and able to float above land (Line 1). Furthermore, he reveals that if this transformation were to occur, “despite of space” he would be brought to “where [his love] dost stay.” (Lines 3,4). He is engrossed in finding an answer to his problem, because of the passion he feels for his partner. He dreams of a situation in which love overcomes physical barriers. Although his solution is impossible, it gives him some temporary relief towards the pang of loneliness.
In the second quatrain, the poet further explores the options after his conversion into the weightless nature of a thought. Again he states that it would not matter how far away he was from his loved one, for he would be extremely portable. “For nimble thought can jump both sea and land.” (Line 7) He presents this idea one again, further emphasizing the huge convenience of being in this state. Nothing would stand in the way of his beloved. In the last line of the quatrain, the speaker observes that he would arrive to his desired destination
Cited: 1. The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.