Poem SONNET 71 By William Shakespeare

No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Then you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world, with the vilest worms to dwell:
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it, for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.
O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse.
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.



POEM ANALYSIS

Sonnets 71-74 mainly resemble and associate the poet’s thoughts on his own mortality or death. This sonnet does not focus to any gender specifically whether to man or woman and the person who the poet refers to (in this sonnet) is rather be called as his beloved. The first quatrain, in line 2 (Then you shall hear the surly sullen bell), In Renaissance era, “passing-bell” was rung many times as an honor to the deceased’s life at funerals. In the first quatrain, generally it conveys that the poet is already died and left his life and his beloved. The poet asks his beloved not to lament when he is dead or even remember his name. In line 4 (From this vile world, with the vilest worms to dwell: ), actually signifies the transaction of living in the world to the grave.

The second quatrain indicates that this sonnet is written or created in order to solace his beloved after his death. In line 6 (The hand that writ it, for I love you so) points out that this sonnet is written and dedicated to his beloved and it illustrates a romantic relationship between the poet and his beloved. In addition to that, the poet believes that he would die before his beloved and it made him writing this sonnet in order to console his beloved after his death oneday. The poet also does not want his beloved to keep thinking about him and try to forget him as it makes his beloved in sorrow for the rest of his beloved’s life.

The third quatrain explains how the poet urges his beloved to completely “decay” him and their love relationship along with his dead body in the grave. In the final couplet, it expresses how the people would mock him and his beloved after his (the poet) death and they would be mocked by people about their past relationship when the poet was still alive. Overall, the poet concerns about his beloved’s life after his death especially what would his beloved face in his or her life after his death. And the reason for writing this sonnet is to solace his beloved’s emotion after his death and stop mourning after his death and live in contentment.