Poem: Sonnet 43 (Your Presence, My Awakening)

I am not the first one going through this. The greatest of them all, William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. I came across Judi Dench’s rendition of Graham Norton’s show of Sonnet 29 today, which inspires this series called ‘Shadowing Shakespeare’.

As I pursue the magic of Shakespeare-scape of sonnets, I recall my construct of Poetarrati 1 & 2, about Angel, a mythical figure, whom the poet loves. There is the falling in love and the falling out resulting in the poet’s demise ultimately. It is the best piece of discovery today that the Shakespearean arc of love is no different from yours truly.

Love is a complicated connection between two beings, and it has never been truly understood. As I immerse myself back into some real literary work going forward, I am committed to completing the editing, publishing, and writing of my literary pieces this year.

Meanwhile, back to Shakespeare. This Sonnet I chose is a more relevant starting point because of the recent incidences in my life, but it does not reflect my current state. Here is Sonnet 43, the first of a few that I will shadow with my free verse version.

Poem: Sonnet 43

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,
For all the day they view things unrespected;
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee
And, darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.

Then thou whose shadow shadows doth make bright,
How would thy shadow’s form form happy show
To the clear day with thy much clearer light
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!

How would, I say, mine eyes be blessèd made
By looking on thee in the living day,
When in dead night ⌜thy⌝ fair imperfect shade
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!

All days are nights to see till I see thee,
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.

~Willian Shakespeare

Brief on Sonnet 43:

The poet, separated from the beloved, reflects on the paradox that because he dreams of the beloved, he sees better with his eyes closed in sleep than he does with them open in daylight. His desire, though, is to see not the dream image but the actual person.

There are quite a few poems I have written on this theme. But they are more imaginary than contextual, but here, I have attempted to shadow Sonnet 43.

Poem: Your Presence, My Awakening

Awake, I dream of you —
A somnambulistic zombie
Seeing you clear in the darkness
For darkness casts no shadows
Your presence sends me into a trance
So intimidating, that I look away
As if I am living in a nightmare
Shadows grow longer and longer
Yet with those charming smiles
And bewitching eyes
Days of slumber and nights of wake
Yet, I yearn, when can see you for real
Like how you appear in my dreams
And your presence becomes my awakening

~Ashok Subramanian © 2024

“Sonnet 43” by William Shakespeare and “Your Presence, My Awakening” by Ashok Subramanian explore themes of longing, perception, and the transformative power of love or presence. While both poems share a common thread of yearning and the contrast between light and darkness, they differ in their approaches, style, and imagery.

“Sonnet 43” expresses the speaker’s deep longing for the beloved, portraying a contrast between the mundane reality of daylight and the heightened perception of love in dreams. The speaker finds solace and clarity in dreaming of the beloved, where even in darkness, the presence of the beloved shines brightly. The poem showcases Shakespeare’s mastery of language, using intricate wordplay and imagery to convey the intensity of the speaker’s love and longing.

In contrast, “Your Presence, My Awakening” by Ashok Subramanian adopts a more modern and direct approach to expressing longing and admiration for the beloved. The speaker describes the experience of dreaming of the beloved as both captivating and intimidating, drawing attention to the transformative effect of the beloved’s presence. The imagery of shadows and darkness juxtaposed with smiles and eyes creates a vivid contrast, highlighting the power of the beloved’s presence to dispel darkness and bring about a sense of awakening.

( AI review).