Sonnet 49: Against That Time, If Ever That Time Come
Against that time, if ever that time come,
When I shall see thee frown on my defects,
When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,
Called to that audit by advis’d respects;
Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,
And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,
When love, converted from the thing it was,
Shall reasons find of settled gravity;
Against that time do I ensconce me here,
Within the knowledge of mine own desert,
And this my hand, against my self uprear,
To guard the lawful reasons on thy part:
To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws,
Since why to love I can allege no cause.
Line 1: Against that time, if ever that time come,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Against: In preparation for or in anticipation of.
- That time: A future time when the beloved’s love may fade.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker begins by preparing for a future time (“that time”) when the beloved’s love for him may fade or end. This suggests that the speaker is anticipating the possibility of rejection or abandonment.
Context:
This sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s sequence addressed to the “Fair Youth.” The speaker explores the theme of vulnerability and the fear of losing the beloved’s love. The line sets up the central theme of the sonnet: the speaker’s preparation for a future where the beloved no longer loves him.
Line 2: When I shall see thee frown on my defects,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Frown: Disapprove or show displeasure.
- Defects: Flaws or imperfections.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker imagines a future where the beloved frowns upon his “defects” (flaws or imperfections). This suggests that the speaker fears being judged or rejected for his shortcomings.
Context:
This line reinforces the theme of vulnerability and the fear of rejection. It reflects the speaker’s awareness of his own imperfections and his concern that they might lead to the loss of the beloved’s love.
Line 3: When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Cast his utmost sum: Reached its final calculation or conclusion.
- Hath: Has (archaic).
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker describes a future where the beloved’s love has “cast his utmost sum,” meaning it has reached its final conclusion or limit. This suggests that the speaker fears the beloved’s love might one day run out.
Context:
This line continues the theme of the speaker’s fear of losing the beloved’s love. It reflects the idea that love, like a finite resource, might one day be exhausted.
Line 4: Called to that audit by advis’d respects;
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Audit: A formal examination or evaluation.
- Advis’d respects: Careful considerations or judgments.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker suggests that the beloved’s love might be subjected to an “audit” (a formal evaluation) based on “advis’d respects” (careful considerations). This implies that the beloved might one day reevaluate their love and find it lacking.
Context:
This line reinforces the theme of vulnerability and the fear of rejection. It reflects the speaker’s concern that the beloved might one day judge their love and decide to end it.
Line 5: Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Strangely pass: Pass by indifferently or coldly.
- Shalt: Shall (archaic).
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker imagines a future where the beloved “strangely passes” by him, meaning the beloved treats him with indifference or coldness. This suggests that the speaker fears being ignored or rejected by the beloved.
Context:
This line continues the theme of the speaker’s fear of losing the beloved’s love. It reflects the idea that the beloved might one day become distant or indifferent.
Line 6: And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Scarcely greet: Barely acknowledge or greet.
- Sun, thine eye: The beloved’s eye, compared to the sun.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker describes a future where the beloved barely acknowledges him (“scarcely greet me”) with his eye, which is compared to the sun. This suggests that the speaker fears losing the warmth and light of the beloved’s affection.
Context:
This line reinforces the theme of vulnerability and the fear of rejection. It reflects the speaker’s concern that the beloved might one day withhold his affection.
Line 7: When love, converted from the thing it was,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Converted: Changed or transformed.
- The thing it was: The love it once was.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker imagines a future where the beloved’s love has changed (“converted”) from what it once was. This suggests that the speaker fears the beloved’s love might one day lose its original intensity or sincerity.
Context:
This line continues the theme of the speaker’s fear of losing the beloved’s love. It reflects the idea that love might one day change or fade.
Line 8: Shall reasons find of settled gravity;
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Reasons: Justifications or explanations.
- Settled gravity: Seriousness or solemnity.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker suggests that the beloved’s love might one day find “reasons of settled gravity” (serious justifications) for ending. This implies that the beloved might one day decide, with sober judgment, to withdraw his love.
Context:
This line reinforces the theme of vulnerability and the fear of rejection. It reflects the speaker’s concern that the beloved might one day rationally decide to end their relationship.
Line 9: Against that time do I ensconce me here,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Ensconce: Fortify or protect myself.
- Here: In the knowledge of my own worth.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker states that he is preparing for that future time by fortifying himself (“ensconce me here”) in the knowledge of his own worth. This suggests that he is building emotional defenses to protect himself from the pain of rejection.
Context:
This line introduces the theme of self-reliance and the speaker’s attempt to protect himself from future heartbreak. It reflects the idea that the speaker is preparing for the possibility of losing the beloved’s love.
Line 10: Within the knowledge of mine own desert,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Desert: Worth or merit.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker explains that he is fortifying himself within the “knowledge of mine own desert” (awareness of his own worth). This suggests that he is relying on his self-esteem to protect himself from the pain of rejection.
Context:
This line reinforces the theme of self-reliance and the speaker’s attempt to protect himself from future heartbreak. It reflects the idea that the speaker is preparing for the possibility of losing the beloved’s love.
Line 11: And this my hand, against my self uprear,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Uprear: Raise or lift.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker describes raising his hand “against myself,” meaning he is preparing to defend or justify the beloved’s potential rejection of him. This suggests that he is willing to accept the beloved’s reasons for ending their relationship.
Context:
This line highlights the speaker’s willingness to accept the beloved’s potential rejection and his attempt to prepare himself emotionally. It reflects the theme of self-reliance and the speaker’s attempt to protect himself from future heartbreak.
Line 12: To guard the lawful reasons on thy part:
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Guard: Defend or protect.
- Lawful reasons: Justifiable or valid reasons.
- Thy part: Your side or perspective.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker states that he is preparing to defend the “lawful reasons” (justifiable reasons) that the beloved might have for ending their relationship. This suggests that he is willing to accept the beloved’s perspective and not hold it against him.
Context:
This line reinforces the theme of self-reliance and the speaker’s attempt to protect himself from future heartbreak. It reflects the idea that the speaker is preparing for the possibility of losing the beloved’s love.
Line 13: To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws,
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Poor me: Me, in my vulnerability.
- Strength of laws: The power of justification or reason.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that the beloved has the “strength of laws” (the power of justification) to leave him. This suggests that the speaker recognizes the beloved’s right to end their relationship if he chooses.
Context:
This line underscores the theme of vulnerability and the speaker’s acceptance of the beloved’s potential rejection. It reflects the idea that the speaker is preparing himself emotionally for the possibility of losing the beloved’s love.
Line 14: Since why to love I can allege no cause.
Difficult Words and Meanings:
- Allege: Claim or provide.
- Cause: Reason or justification.
In-Depth Explanation:
The speaker concludes by stating that he cannot provide a reason or justification (“allege no cause”) for why the beloved should love him. This suggests that the speaker feels unworthy of the beloved’s love and accepts that it might one day end.
Context:
This line encapsulates the central theme of the sonnet: the speaker’s vulnerability and his fear of losing the beloved’s love. It reflects the idea that the speaker feels unworthy of the beloved’s affection and is preparing himself emotionally for the possibility of rejection.
Summary of the Sonnet:
Sonnet 49 explores the theme of vulnerability and the fear of losing the beloved’s love. The speaker anticipates a future time when the beloved might reject him, either because of his flaws or because the beloved’s love has changed. He prepares himself emotionally by fortifying himself with the knowledge of his own worth and by accepting the beloved’s potential reasons for ending their relationship. The sonnet reflects the speaker’s deep sense of insecurity and his awareness of his own imperfections. The final lines underscore the speaker’s acceptance of his vulnerability and his belief that he cannot provide a justification for why the beloved should love him. The sonnet captures the tension between love and self-doubt, highlighting the fragility of human relationships and the fear of rejection.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 49
Summary:
Sonnet 49 is a meditation on the inevitability of love’s decline. The speaker anticipates a future moment when the beloved will withdraw their affection and become emotionally distant. Instead of resisting this fate, the speaker accepts it as a legal and justifiable outcome, emphasizing his own unworthiness and the beloved’s right to leave.
- Quatrain 1: The speaker imagines a future where the beloved evaluates their love and determines that the relationship has reached its limit.
- Quatrain 2: The beloved, once warm and affectionate, will become cold and distant, offering rational justifications for their diminished feelings.
- Quatrain 3: The speaker prepares himself emotionally for this inevitable loss, acknowledging that he deserves to be abandoned.
- Final Couplet: The speaker surrenders to the beloved’s right to leave, stating that there is no logical reason to demand their love continue.
Critical Analysis:
Sonnet 49 is a deeply melancholic reflection on love’s impermanence, capturing the speaker’s anxiety and resignation. Unlike other sonnets that plead for the beloved’s affection, this poem adopts a defensive stance, as if the speaker is already preparing for an inevitable breakup.
A key aspect of this sonnet is its legal and financial imagery. Love is described as something that can be audited, summed up, and judged, reinforcing the idea that feelings are not eternal but subject to change, logic, and evaluation.
This sonnet suggests that love is ultimately a choice, not a binding obligation. If the beloved decides to “audit” their feelings and finds no reason to continue, the speaker will not fight it—instead, he will defend their decision as lawful and just.
Theme Analysis:
- The Transience of Love:
- The speaker anticipates that love will fade over time, emphasizing that feelings are not permanent but subject to change and rational reconsideration.
- This contrasts with earlier sonnets, which depict love as eternal and unwavering.
- Resignation to Rejection:
- Unlike other sonnets that plead, argue, or protest betrayal, Sonnet 49 accepts the end of love.
- The speaker does not accuse or blame the beloved but defends their right to leave.
- Love as an Economic or Legal Transaction:
- The words “audit,” “sum,” “desert,” and “law” suggest that love is something measured, evaluated, and judged.
- The beloved “calls the audit”—as if performing a financial reckoning—and decides that the investment (love) is no longer worth continuing.
- The Speaker’s Own Unworthiness:
- The speaker does not resist or beg but instead acknowledges his own faults.
- He refers to “mine own desert” (his own merit), implying that he does not deserve continued love.
Literary Devices and Techniques:
- Legal and Financial Metaphor:
- “Called to that audit by advis’d respects” → Love is like an account that must be balanced and justified.
- The beloved is the auditor, objectively deciding whether the relationship is worth maintaining.
- Personification of Love:
- “When love, converted from the thing it was, / Shall reasons find of settled gravity”
- Love is depicted as a living entity that changes over time, transitioning from passion to rationality.
- Imagery of Emotional Distance:
- “When thou shalt strangely pass, / And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye”
- The beloved’s eyes, once warm like the sun, will become cold and indifferent.
- Paradox of Self-Defense Against One’s Own Loss:
- “This my hand, against myself uprear, / To guard the lawful reasons on thy part”
- The speaker defends the beloved’s right to leave—as if he is a lawyer arguing against himself.
- Tone Shift (From Anticipation to Acceptance):
- The first quatrains build dread and anxiety, but the final lines express calm surrender.
Comparison to Other Sonnets:
- Sonnet 87 (“Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing”)
- Both sonnets reflect the speaker’s feeling of unworthiness, suggesting that the beloved was never truly his to keep.
- Sonnet 49 focuses on preparing for inevitable loss, whereas Sonnet 87 is a farewell after love has ended.
- Sonnet 116 (“Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments”)
- Sonnet 116 argues that true love is unchanging, while Sonnet 49 contradicts this by suggesting that love is temporary and subject to rational evaluation.
- Sonnet 35 (“No more be grieved at that which thou hast done”)
- Sonnet 35 excuses betrayal and argues for forgiveness, whereas Sonnet 49 accepts that love’s end is justified and inevitable.
Conclusion:
Sonnet 49 is a profoundly melancholic meditation on the impermanence of love. Unlike other sonnets that fight against love’s decline, this one accepts it as a rational, lawful process. The use of legal and financial imagery reinforces the idea that love is not eternal but something evaluated and re-evaluated over time.
The speaker’s resigned acceptance makes this sonnet particularly poignant, as it suggests that he already sees the end coming and prepares himself for inevitable rejection. Instead of blaming the beloved, he justifies their decision, ultimately acknowledging that love, like all things, has its limits.
