How can I then return in happy plight,
That am debarred the benefit of rest?
When day’s oppression is not eas’d by night,
But day by night and night by day oppress’d,
And each, though enemies to either’s reign,
Do in consent shake hands to torture me,
The one by toil, the other to complain
How far I toil, still farther off from thee.
I tell the day, to please him thou art bright,
And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:
So flatter I the swart-complexion’d night,
When sparkling stars twire not thou gild’st the even.
But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,
And night doth nightly make grief’s length seem stronger.
Line 1: “How can I then return in happy plight,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Return in happy plight – Come back in a joyful or peaceful state.
Explanation & Context:
The poet questions how he can ever feel happy again when he is suffering. The word “return” may refer to returning to his usual self, or it could suggest the idea of coming back to a state of emotional contentment. His rhetorical question sets the tone of frustration and longing, which will develop as the sonnet continues.
Line 2: “That am debarred the benefit of rest?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Debarred – Denied, prevented from having.
- Benefit of rest – The relief or comfort of sleep.
Explanation & Context:
The poet feels that he is denied sleep, which would usually provide peace and relief. This reinforces the idea from Sonnet 27, where he described his body being tired by day and his mind restless by night. Here, he emphasizes that he is trapped in a cycle of exhaustion and longing.
Line 3: “When day’s oppression is not eas’d by night,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Oppression – Hardship, suffering, or burden.
- Eas’d – Relieved, made lighter.
Explanation & Context:
Normally, night should bring relief from the hardships of the day, but for the poet, it does not. Instead, his suffering continues without pause, as the pain of love torments him at all hours.
Line 4: “But day by night and night by day oppress’d,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Oppress’d – Made to suffer, weighed down.
Explanation & Context:
The poet’s suffering is constant—neither day nor night brings him peace. Day oppresses him with labor, and night oppresses him with thoughts of his beloved. He is caught in a never-ending cycle of pain, making both time periods equally unbearable.
Line 5: “And each, though enemies to either’s reign,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Enemies to either’s reign – Day and night normally oppose each other.
Explanation & Context:
Day and night are usually seen as opposites, ruling over different parts of time. But here, instead of working against each other, they appear to be working together against the poet, intensifying his sorrow.
Line 6: “Do in consent shake hands to torture me,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Consent – Agreement.
- Shake hands – Symbolizing unity or a pact.
Explanation & Context:
The poet personifies day and night as enemies who have now become allies—they “shake hands” in agreement to torment him. This metaphor makes his suffering feel inescapable, as the two forces that should provide balance instead work together to make his pain worse.
Line 7: “The one by toil, the other to complain”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Toil – Hard work or labor.
- Complain – Express sorrow or grief.
Explanation & Context:
- Day torments him through physical toil (work, fatigue, struggle).
- Night torments him by forcing him to dwell on his longing and grief.
This contrast between physical and emotional suffering highlights the all-consuming nature of his love—he gets no relief from his thoughts, no matter the time of day.
Line 8: “How far I toil, still farther off from thee.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Still farther off from thee – Even more distant from you.
Explanation & Context:
Despite all his efforts, the poet feels that he is only moving further away from his beloved. This line expresses the frustration of unfulfilled love, as no matter what he does, the distance between them remains.
Line 9: “I tell the day, to please him thou art bright,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- To please him – To make the day feel better.
- Thou art bright – You (his beloved) are as bright as the day.
Explanation & Context:
The poet flatters the day, telling it that his beloved is as bright as daylight, as if to appease it. This could suggest that he is negotiating with time, trying to find comfort in it by comparing his love to the natural cycle of life.
Line 10: “And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Dost him grace – You (his beloved) bring beauty to the day.
- Blot the heaven – Cover the sky (with clouds).
Explanation & Context:
Even when the sky is cloudy and gloomy, his beloved’s beauty still graces the day, making it worthwhile. This metaphor suggests that his love brings light even in dark moments, just as the beloved’s presence could brighten even a cloudy day.
Line 11: “So flatter I the swart-complexion’d night,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Flatter – Praise in an exaggerated way.
- Swart-complexion’d – Dark-skinned (referring to the night).
Explanation & Context:
Just as he flattered the day, he now flatter’s the night, personifying it as having a “dark complexion.” This suggests that, even in darkness and sorrow, he tries to find beauty and meaning through his love.
Line 12: “When sparkling stars twire not thou gild’st the even.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Twire – Twinkle or shine faintly.
- Gild’st the even – Make the evening golden (illuminate the night).
Explanation & Context:
Even when the stars fail to shine, his beloved’s beauty still illuminates the night. This extends the contrast between darkness and light, showing that his love outshines even the natural elements.
Line 13: “But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Doth daily draw – Continues to lengthen.
- Sorrows longer – Increases his suffering.
Explanation & Context:
Each day feels longer because of the poet’s suffering. Instead of passing quickly, time seems to drag on, making his pain stretch endlessly.
Line 14: “And night doth nightly make grief’s length seem stronger.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Nightly make grief’s length seem stronger – Every night makes his sorrow feel even more intense.
Explanation & Context:
Just as day stretches his sadness, night deepens it, making his grief more powerful. This final line reinforces the idea that he finds no relief—neither day nor night offers him peace.
Final Analysis:
Sonnet 28 continues Shakespeare’s exploration of love as both beautiful and tormenting. The central theme is the relentless passage of time and its failure to bring relief. Key ideas include:
- The Unending Cycle of Suffering – The poet is trapped between physical exhaustion (day) and emotional torment (night).
- Personification of Day & Night – They are portrayed as conspiring against him, ensuring that he remains in a state of longing.
- Love as Light in Darkness – Even when the stars do not shine, his beloved’s beauty still “gilds” the night, showing that love brings brightness even in sorrow.
- Time as an Enemy – Instead of healing wounds, time prolongs and intensifies pain, making his suffering feel eternal.
This sonnet deepens the despair found in Sonnet 27, showing that love can make even time itself feel like an enemy.
Summary
In Sonnet 28, the speaker laments his unending suffering due to separation from his beloved. He finds no relief in either day or night—the day exhausts him with toil, and the night torments him with thoughts of his distant love. Instead of providing rest, night only deepens his sorrow, making his suffering continuous.
The speaker personifies both day and night, claiming that they, though natural enemies, have conspired to torture him—one through physical exertion, the other through mental anguish. He attempts to flatter the day and the night, praising the day for the beloved’s brightness and night for its beauty. However, neither offers comfort, as his pain only grows stronger with time.
Critical Analysis
Sonnet 28 expands upon the theme of restless suffering introduced in Sonnet 27. While the previous sonnet describes physical exhaustion and mental wakefulness, this one emphasizes the inescapable cycle of grief, where both day and night contribute to the speaker’s misery.
The personification of day and night as conspirators is central to the poem. Typically, day and night are opposites, yet here they work together to intensify the speaker’s torment. This presents a paradox: what should be a relief (night following a tiring day) instead prolongs his suffering.
The speaker’s attempt to flatter both day and night suggests an effort to cope with his pain by finding beauty in his beloved. However, this strategy fails, as neither time nor nature can soothe his longing.
The final couplet delivers a powerful conclusion:
- Day extends his sorrow (“draws my sorrows longer”)
- Night deepens it (“makes grief’s length seem stronger”)
This reinforces the inescapable and intensifying nature of his love-induced suffering.
Theme Analysis
1. The Inescapable Pain of Love
The sonnet highlights how love can become a source of endless suffering, leaving no moment of peace. The speaker feels trapped in a cycle of longing and torment, suggesting that distance from a loved one is a form of emotional imprisonment.
2. The Betrayal of Nature (Day and Night)
The natural world, which should offer relief, instead conspires against the speaker. Day and night, rather than balancing each other, work together to make his suffering perpetual.
3. Time as an Oppressor
Both day and night are depicted as antagonistic forces, showing that time itself has become an agent of sorrow. This is a common theme in Shakespeare’s sonnets, where time often works against love and happiness.
4. The Powerlessness of Human Emotion
Despite the speaker’s attempts to find comfort in poetic flattery, his words fail to ease his pain. This suggests that love’s suffering cannot always be soothed by reason or poetic imagination.
Literary Devices
1. Personification
- “Day by night and night by day oppress’d”
→ Day and night are given human qualities, actively conspiring to oppress the speaker. - “Do in consent shake hands to torture me”
→ Normally enemies, day and night are personified as collaborators in the speaker’s suffering.
2. Juxtaposition (Contrast)
- “Day’s oppression is not eas’d by night”
- “Day doth daily draw my sorrows longer, / And night doth nightly make grief’s length seem stronger.”
→ The expected contrast between day and night is subverted, as both contribute equally to the speaker’s misery.
3. Paradox
- “And each, though enemies to either’s reign, / Do in consent shake hands to torture me.”
→ Day and night, which should be opposites, have paradoxically joined forces to prolong his suffering.
4. Metaphor
- “Swart-complexion’d night”
→ Night is described as dark-skinned, an example of personification that also reinforces its ominous presence. - “When sparkling stars twire not thou gild’st the even.”
→ The beloved is compared to a celestial light that brightens the evening, suggesting their beauty transcends nature itself.
5. Alliteration
- “Day doth daily draw my sorrows longer”
- “Night doth nightly make grief’s length seem stronger.”
→ The repetition of sounds enhances the feeling of repetitive suffering and intensifies the poem’s musicality.
Conclusion
Sonnet 28 is a poignant meditation on the relentless nature of love’s suffering. The speaker, trapped in an endless cycle of longing, finds no relief in day or night, as both work together to deepen his grief. Through powerful personification, paradox, and imagery, Shakespeare masterfully conveys the idea that love, when unfulfilled, can make time itself feel like an oppressor.
