Sonnet 114: Or Whether Doth My Mind, Being Crowned With You
Or whether doth my mind, being crowned with you,
Drink up the monarch’s plague, this flattery?
Or whether shall I say mine eye saith true,
And that your love taught it this alchemy,
To make of monsters and things indigest
Such cheubins as your sweet self resemble,
Creating every bad a perfect best
As fast as objects to his beams assemble?
O ’tis the first; ’tis flattery in my seeing,
And my great mind most kingly drinks it up.
Mine eye well knows what with his gust is greeing,
And to his palate doth prepare the cup.
If it be poisoned, tis the lesser sin
That mine eye loes it and doth first begin.
Line 1:
“Or whether doth my mind, being crowned with you,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Crowned: Honored or adorned.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The sonnet opens with the poet questioning whether his mind, which is honored by thoughts of the beloved, is susceptible to flattery. This suggests that the poet is reflecting on the nature of his perception and whether it is influenced by his love for the beloved.
The line sets the tone for the sonnet, which explores the idea that the poet’s perception may be distorted by his intense love for the beloved.
Line 2:
“Drink up the monarch’s plague, this flattery?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Monarch’s plague: The danger of flattery, often associated with kings.
- Flattery: Excessive or insincere praise.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet wonders if his mind is drinking up the “monarch’s plague,” or the danger of flattery, suggesting that his intense love for the beloved may be clouding his judgment. This reflects the idea that the poet’s perception may be influenced by his desire to see the beloved in an idealized way.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 3:
“Or whether shall I say mine eye saith true,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Saith true: Speaks the truth.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet considers whether his eye is telling the truth, suggesting that he is questioning the accuracy of his perception. This reflects the idea that the poet is unsure whether his love for the beloved is distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 4:
“And that your love taught it this alchemy,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Alchemy: The medieval practice of transforming base metals into gold; here, it symbolizes transformation or idealization.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet wonders if the beloved’s love has taught his eye the art of alchemy, transforming everything he sees into something beautiful and ideal. This suggests that the poet’s perception may be influenced by his intense love for the beloved, leading him to see the world in an idealized way.
The line reflects the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 5:
“To make of monsters and things indigest”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Monsters: Ugly or frightening creatures.
- Indigest: Unpleasant or difficult to accept.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet describes how his eye transforms monsters and unpleasant things into something beautiful, suggesting that his perception is influenced by his love for the beloved. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love may be distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 6:
“Such cheubins as your sweet self resemble,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Cheubins: Cherubs, symbols of beauty and innocence.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet describes how his eye transforms unpleasant things into cherubs that resemble the beloved, suggesting that his perception is completely dominated by his love for the beloved. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love may be distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 7:
“Creating every bad a perfect best”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Perfect best: The most ideal or beautiful form.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet describes how his eye transforms every bad thing into something perfect and beautiful, suggesting that his perception is completely dominated by his love for the beloved. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love may be distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 8:
“As fast as objects to his beams assemble?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Beams: Rays of light or vision.
- Assemble: Gather or come together.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet compares the transformation of objects by his eye to the way objects gather in the light, suggesting that his perception is completely dominated by his love for the beloved. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love may be distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 9:
“O ’tis the first; ’tis flattery in my seeing,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Flattery: Excessive or insincere praise.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet concludes that his perception is influenced by flattery, suggesting that his love for the beloved is clouding his judgment. This reflects the idea that the poet’s perception may be distorted by his intense love for the beloved.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 10:
“And my great mind most kingly drinks it up.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Kingly: In a royal or grand manner.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet describes how his mind drinks up the flattery in a grand and royal manner, suggesting that he is fully embracing the idealized view of the world created by his love for the beloved. This reflects the idea that the poet’s perception may be distorted by his intense love for the beloved.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 11:
“Mine eye well knows what with his gust is greeing,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Gust: Taste or appetite.
- Greeing: Agreeing or pleasing.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet describes how his eye knows what pleases his mind’s appetite, suggesting that his perception is influenced by his desire to see the world in an idealized way. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love for the beloved may be distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 12:
“And to his palate doth prepare the cup.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Palate: Taste or preference.
- Prepare the cup: Offer something pleasing.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet describes how his eye prepares a pleasing cup for his mind’s palate, suggesting that his perception is influenced by his desire to see the world in an idealized way. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love for the beloved may be distorting his view of reality.
The line reinforces the poet’s sense of uncertainty and his reflection on the nature of his perception.
Line 13:
“If it be poisoned, tis the lesser sin”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Poisoned: Harmful or corrupting.
- Lesser sin: A minor wrongdoing.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The poet acknowledges that if his perception is poisoned by flattery, it is a lesser sin than other wrongdoings. This suggests that the poet is willing to accept the distortion of his perception as a minor fault, given the intensity of his love for the beloved.
The line reflects the poet’s acceptance of the potential distortion of his perception and his willingness to embrace it.
Line 14:
“That mine eye loes it and doth first begin.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Loes: Loves or embraces.
- Doth first begin: Is the first to start.
In-Depth Explanation of Text and Context:
The sonnet concludes with the poet declaring that his eye loves the flattery and is the first to embrace it, suggesting that he is willing to accept the distortion of his perception as a result of his intense love for the beloved. This reflects the idea that the poet’s love for the beloved is so strong that it overrides his concern for the accuracy of his perception.
The line reinforces the poet’s acceptance of the potential distortion of his perception and his willingness to embrace it.
Summary of the Sonnet:
Sonnet 114 explores the idea that the poet’s perception may be distorted by his intense love for the beloved. The poet questions whether his mind is susceptible to flattery and whether his eye is telling the truth or transforming everything he sees into something beautiful and ideal. He concludes that his perception is influenced by flattery and that his mind drinks it up in a grand and royal manner. The poet acknowledges that if his perception is poisoned by flattery, it is a lesser sin, and he is willing to accept the distortion as a result of his intense love for the beloved. The sonnet reflects Shakespeare’s exploration of the transformative power of love and its ability to dominate one’s thoughts and perceptions.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 114
Summary
In Sonnet 114, Shakespeare continues exploring the theme of love’s power to distort perception. The speaker questions whether his idealized vision of his beloved is a form of flattery (self-deception) or a true transformation caused by love.
- First quatrain: He wonders if his mind, enthroned by love, is consuming flattery, or if his eye has learned a magical “alchemy” from love—turning even monsters into cherubs.
- Second quatrain: He describes how his vision transforms imperfections into beauty, making every bad thing seem perfect as soon as it appears.
- Third quatrain: He decides that it must be flattery—and like a king drinking from a poisoned cup, he willingly indulges in this deception.
- Final couplet: If this flattery is poison, he accepts it, arguing that since his eye is the first to drink, the sin is minor.
Critical Analysis
1. Love as a Form of Royalty
- “Or whether doth my mind, being crowned with you, / Drink up the monarch’s plague, this flattery?”
- The speaker compares his love to a king, suggesting that his mind is ruled by his beloved.
- Kings are surrounded by flattery, and he wonders if his love has blinded him in a similar way.
- The phrase “monarch’s plague” refers to the constant deception that surrounds rulers—is his love a deception too?
2. Alchemy: The Power to Transform Reality
- “Or whether shall I say mine eye saith true, / And that your love taught it this alchemy”
- Alchemy = a medieval practice of turning base metals into gold.
- Here, the speaker wonders if his love has taught his eyes to turn even monstrous things into beauty.
- This connects to the theme of perception vs. reality—does love truly elevate his beloved, or is it an illusion?
3. The Power of Vision to Create Perfection
- “To make of monsters and things indigest / Such cherubins as your sweet self resemble”
- The contrast between “monsters” and “cherubins” (angels) shows how his sight alters reality.
- Anything ugly or unpalatable becomes beautiful under his love-struck gaze.
- This reinforces the idea that love is transformative, whether through truth or deception.
4. Love as a Willing Self-Deception
- “O ’tis the first; ’tis flattery in my seeing, / And my great mind most kingly drinks it up.”
- He admits that his vision is flattery—he is deceiving himself.
- Yet, he embraces this deception like a noble king, drinking in the illusion without hesitation.
- This recalls themes from Sonnet 113, where love distorts the speaker’s vision beyond reason.
5. The Metaphor of the Poisoned Cup
- “Mine eye well knows what with his gust is greeing, / And to his palate doth prepare the cup.”
- His eye “tastes” what it wants to see, like a cupbearer selecting wine for a king.
- This wine of flattery may be poisoned, yet he drinks it willingly.
- “If it be poisoned, ’tis the lesser sin / That mine eye loves it and doth first begin.”
- Even if this illusion is harmful, he justifies it by saying that his eye is the first to drink—only his perception is corrupted, not his soul.
- This implies that self-deception in love, while flawed, is not the worst crime.
Theme Analysis
1. The Power of Love to Transform Perception
- The sonnet continues the idea from Sonnet 113—that love alters how one sees the world.
- Love acts like alchemy, turning even imperfection into beauty.
- This reflects idealization in romantic relationships—how lovers see only the best in each other.
2. The Role of Flattery and Self-Deception
- The speaker admits that his love may be self-deception, but he accepts it.
- This raises questions about truth and illusion in love—is it better to see reality or to cherish illusion?
- The comparison to a king and his court suggests that all love involves some flattery.
3. Love as a Willing Poison
- Love is compared to a poisoned drink, but one that the speaker chooses to consume.
- This suggests that love, even if deceptive, is a pleasurable and necessary illusion.
- It also plays with the Elizabethan idea of courtly love, where devotion was often exaggerated and idealized.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor: Love as a King’s Court
- “Being crowned with you”—love is compared to a monarchy, where the beloved is the ruler.
- “Monarch’s plague”—flattery is compared to a disease that infects kings.
2. Extended Metaphor: Love as Alchemy
- Love transforms base things into gold, much like alchemy was believed to do.
- “To make of monsters and things indigest / Such cherubins”—his eyes transmute flaws into beauty.
3. Symbolism: The Poisoned Cup
- Drinking represents the act of accepting deception.
- The cupbearer metaphor suggests that the eye (perception) prepares illusions for the mind.
4. Contrast: Monsters vs. Cherubs
- The ugly and the divine are directly opposed, reinforcing the power of love’s illusion.
Conclusion
Sonnet 114 examines the fine line between love’s idealization and self-deception. The speaker questions whether his vision is truly transformed by love or merely a flattering lie. He ultimately accepts the illusion, choosing to embrace it like a king drinking from a poisoned cup. Shakespeare masterfully explores how love can blind us, yet we willingly submit to its deception.
