Sonnet 26 is often
considered to be a culmination or catharsis of sorts of the preceding five
Sonnets. However, it could also be looked at as the beginning of a different
phase in the relationship between the persona and the Fair Youth. It appears
there is to be some sort of separation in the near future with no apparent
reason for this except that the persona wills it so. Rather strange for someone
supposedly deeply in love.
The poem starts off
with Shakespeare assuming the humble role of a 'servant', a servant to love, a
servant to his love. Use of words like " duty, vassalage and
embassage" seem to augment the previously explored notion that the Fair
Youth is some sort of aristocrat and yet this could just be an illustration of
how much respect the Fair Youth commands. A mismatch in fortune, class or even
beauty is strongly implied by such reverence which sort of explains why
Shakespeare is putting so much effort into the maintenance of this interaction.
The second quatrain is
laden with irony as Shakespeare claims
" ... in wanting words to show it" his words, his poetry, more
so its quality would not adequately express his love and yet if ever there was
a writer who could express undying love, it his him. We are left to decide
whether the persona is being fashionably humble this particular 'love' is truly
beyond words. Could it also be that there existed a rival suitor whose
penmanship was considerably better?
Regardless, the
persona implores the Fair Youth to use his own imagination, "... in thy
soul's thought," to be able to properly fathom the gravity of attraction
on offer. In the strictest sense, it is a bit of a gamble as instead of the
Youth imagining a bed of roses, he could so easily picture a relationship on
the rocks especially as Shakespeare is announcing an impending absence. It is
interesting to note that in line 11, Shakespeare sways the yet to be
orchestrated imagination towards a flawed image almost as if to water down any
thoughts of a rosy affair or maybe just to help paint a realistic picture of
the whole situation.
The final couplet
officially announces the poet's future absence attributing it to a lack of
proficiency in expressing love through writing. So is this some sort of writing
sabbatical? Is Shakespeare going to learn how to write or perhaps how to love
or is he simply hoping absence with make the heart grow fonder?