Sonnet 147: My Love Is As A Fever Longing Still
My love is as a fever longing still,
For that which longer nurseth the disease;
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,
The uncertain sickly appetite to please.
My reason, the physician to my love,
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept,
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve
Desire is death, which physic did except.
Past cure I am, now Reason is past care,
And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;
My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are,
At random from the truth vainly expressed;
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.
Line 1:
“My love is as a fever longing still,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Fever: A state of intense emotion or illness.
- Longing still: Constantly desiring.
Explanation:
The speaker compares his love to a fever that constantly craves something, suggesting that it is both intense and unhealthy. This line sets the tone for the sonnet, which explores the destructive nature of his love.
Line 2:
“For that which longer nurseth the disease;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Nurseth: Feeds or sustains.
- Disease: The metaphorical illness of love.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that his love feeds on something that prolongs its unhealthy state. This line introduces the idea that his love is self-destructive and unsustainable.
Line 3:
“Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Preserve the ill: Maintain the sickness.
Explanation:
The speaker describes his love as consuming what keeps it unhealthy, emphasizing its self-destructive nature. This line reinforces the theme of love as a consuming and harmful force.
Line 4:
“The uncertain sickly appetite to please.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Uncertain: Unpredictable or unstable.
- Sickly appetite: Unhealthy desire.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that his love is driven by an unstable and unhealthy desire to please. This line highlights the irrational and destructive aspects of his emotions.
Line 5:
“My reason, the physician to my love,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Reason: Rational thought or judgment.
- Physician: Healer or guide.
Explanation:
The speaker personifies reason as a physician trying to heal his love. This line introduces the conflict between reason and passion, a central theme of the sonnet.
Line 6:
“Angry that his prescriptions are not kept,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Prescriptions: Advice or remedies.
Explanation:
The speaker describes reason as angry because its advice is being ignored. This line emphasizes the failure of reason to control or heal the speaker’s love.
Line 7:
“Hath left me, and I desperate now approve”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Desperate: Hopeless or despairing.
- Approve: Prove or experience.
Explanation:
The speaker states that reason has abandoned him, leaving him in a state of despair. This line underscores the triumph of passion over reason and the resulting emotional turmoil.
Line 8:
“Desire is death, which physic did except.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Desire: Passion or longing.
- Physic: Medicine or reason.
- Except: Exclude or prevent.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes that desire is a form of death, which reason tried to prevent. This line reflects the destructive power of unchecked passion and the failure of reason to control it.
Line 9:
“Past cure I am, now Reason is past care,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Past cure: Beyond healing.
- Past care: No longer concerned.
Explanation:
The speaker admits that he is beyond healing and that reason no longer cares for him. This line emphasizes his hopelessness and the complete dominance of passion over reason.
Line 10:
“And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Frantic-mad: Wildly insane.
- Evermore unrest: Constant turmoil.
Explanation:
The speaker describes himself as wildly insane and in constant turmoil. This line highlights the extreme emotional state caused by his unchecked passion.
Line 11:
“My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Discourse: Speech or conversation.
Explanation:
The speaker compares his thoughts and speech to those of a madman, emphasizing his irrationality and loss of control. This line underscores the destructive impact of his love on his mental state.
Line 12:
“At random from the truth vainly expressed;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- At random: Without order or logic.
- Vainly: Pointlessly or fruitlessly.
Explanation:
The speaker admits that his words are disconnected from the truth and expressed without purpose. This line reflects the chaos and confusion caused by his passion.
Line 13:
“For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Sworn thee fair: Declared you beautiful.
- Bright: Radiant or virtuous.
Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that he has idealized his beloved, declaring her beautiful and virtuous. This line highlights the contrast between his perception and reality.
Line 14:
“Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Black as hell: Evil or corrupt.
- Dark as night: Devoid of light or goodness.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes by revealing the true nature of his beloved, describing her as evil and corrupt. This line encapsulates the sonnet’s theme of disillusionment and the destructive power of love.
Overall Context and Themes:
Sonnet 147 explores the destructive nature of love and the conflict between passion and reason. The speaker describes his love as a feverish, irrational force that consumes him and leads to despair. The poem delves into themes of disillusionment, emotional turmoil, and the failure of reason to control passion. The vivid imagery and emotional intensity make it a powerful exploration of the darker aspects of love and human emotion.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 147
Summary
Sonnet 147 is one of Shakespeare’s most intense and despairing love sonnets, describing love as a destructive, feverish disease that has consumed the speaker.
The poem presents love as a fever that continually feeds itself, worsening the speaker’s suffering rather than curing it. He acknowledges that reason, once a physician to his love, has abandoned him, leaving him in a state of madness and self-destruction.
In the final couplet, the speaker experiences a moment of brutal clarity: the woman he once swore was fair and bright is actually “black as hell, as dark as night.” This suggests a realization that his love has been based on illusion, self-deception, or outright falsehood.
Critical Analysis
Love as a Disease
The dominant metaphor in this sonnet is love as an illness. The speaker describes himself as:
- Afflicted with a fever that worsens as he indulges in it.
- Rejecting reason and medicine, suggesting he wants to remain in his obsession despite knowing it is harmful.
- Suffering from a mental breakdown, evident in his “mad” speech and thoughts.
This metaphor aligns with Renaissance medical beliefs, where love was sometimes viewed as a form of madness or illness—a disorder of the humors that could lead to irrational behavior.
The Breakdown of Reason
In previous sonnets, Shakespeare’s speaker often attempts to rationalize his love. Here, however:
- Reason, personified as a physician, has given up on him.
- The speaker acknowledges that desire leads to death, but he remains powerless to stop it.
- His speech becomes frantic, irrational, and desperate, mirroring his mental and emotional turmoil.
This loss of reason suggests that his love has crossed into dangerous obsession, leaving him unable to distinguish between truth and illusion.
The Final Realization: Love as a Lie
The closing couplet delivers a harsh, devastating reversal:
“For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.”
- This shift represents a moment of bitter truth: the beloved is not who he thought she was.
- The phrase “black as hell, as dark as night” is an extreme contrast to his previous descriptions of her beauty, suggesting betrayal, moral corruption, or deception.
- The harshness of these words signals an emotional breaking point—he has finally recognized the toxicity of his love.
Theme Analysis
- Love as a Self-Destructive Obsession
- The speaker is trapped in a cycle of desire that worsens his suffering.
- Love is no longer something beautiful or uplifting; it is a disease, a curse.
- The Conflict Between Passion and Reason
- The speaker admits that reason has abandoned him, leaving him to madness and despair.
- This reinforces love’s power to override logic, leading to self-delusion and destruction.
- Disillusionment and Betrayal
- The sonnet ends with a stark contrast between illusion and reality.
- What was once believed to be “fair and bright” is revealed to be dark and hellish.
- This could symbolize the speaker realizing that his love was based on lies, or that the woman he adored was unworthy of his devotion.
Literary Devices
- Extended Metaphor (Love as a Fever)
- Love is compared to a disease, growing worse as it is fed rather than cured.
- This creates a sense of inevitability—the speaker cannot escape his fate.
- Personification (Reason as a Physician)
- Reason is depicted as a doctor who has given up on his patient.
- This emphasizes the speaker’s hopelessness and surrender to madness.
- Contrast (Light vs. Dark Imagery)
- The woman was once “fair” and “bright”, but now she is “black as hell, dark as night.”
- This dramatic contrast highlights his disillusionment.
- Enjambment (Rapid, Tumultuous Flow of Thought)
- The poem’s structure mirrors the speaker’s mental state, with thoughts spilling into one another frantically.
- This creates a breathless, desperate tone, reinforcing his madness.
Conclusion
Sonnet 147 is a powerful meditation on love as a form of madness, self-destruction, and ultimate disillusionment.
- The speaker portrays love as a disease that grows worse over time, rejecting logic and reason in favor of obsessive desire.
- However, by the end, he experiences a painful awakening—realizing that his love was built on falsehood.
This sonnet marks one of the darkest points in Shakespeare’s sequence, portraying love not as a source of joy, but as a feverish, consuming force that leads only to suffering and despair.
