Sonnet 33: Full Many A Glorious Morning I Have Seen
Full many a glorious morning have I seen
Flatter the mountain tops with sovereign eye,
Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy;
Anon permit the basest clouds to ride
With ugly rack on his celestial face,
And from the forlorn world his visage hide,
Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace:
Even so my sun one early morn did shine,
With all triumphant splendour on my brow;
But out, alack, he was but one hour mine,
The region cloud hath mask’d him from me now.
Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth;
Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.
Sonnet 33: Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
Line 1: “Full many a glorious morning have I seen”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Full many – Very many.
- Glorious morning – Beautiful sunrise.
Explanation & Context:
The speaker begins by describing many beautiful mornings he has witnessed, setting a positive and radiant tone.
Line 2: “Flatter the mountain tops with sovereign eye,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Flatter – Light up or enhance.
- Sovereign eye – The powerful, ruling gaze of the sun.
Explanation & Context:
The sun appears like a ruler, gazing upon the mountaintops, making them look more majestic.
Line 3: “Kissing with golden face the meadows green,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Kissing – Gently touching.
- Golden face – The sun’s glowing surface.
Explanation & Context:
The sun gently touches the green meadows with its warm, golden light, emphasizing its life-giving presence.
Line 4: “Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Gilding – Covering with a golden hue.
- Heavenly alchemy – A divine transformation (turning the streams golden).
Explanation & Context:
The sunlight turns pale streams golden, much like an alchemist transforming metal into gold.
Line 5: “Anon permit the basest clouds to ride”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Anon – Soon or suddenly.
- Basest – Lowest or most undesirable.
Explanation & Context:
The once-glorious sun quickly allows dark, ugly clouds to take over the sky, signaling a change in fortune.
Line 6: “With ugly rack on his celestial face,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Ugly rack – A mass of dark, moving storm clouds.
- Celestial face – The sun’s radiant appearance.
Explanation & Context:
The clouds now cover and darken the sun’s beautiful face, obscuring its previous brightness.
Line 7: “And from the forlorn world his visage hide,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Forlorn – Lonely, abandoned.
- Visage – Face.
Explanation & Context:
The sun disappears behind the clouds, making the world feel abandoned and sorrowful.
Line 8: “Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Stealing unseen – Moving away unnoticed.
- Disgrace – A shameful retreat.
Explanation & Context:
The sun quietly retreats westward, as if ashamed of being covered by clouds.
Line 9: “Even so my sun one early morn did shine,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Even so – In the same way.
- My sun – A metaphor for his beloved (or someone he admires).
Explanation & Context:
Just as the sun shone brightly, his beloved once shone on him with warmth and happiness.
Line 10: “With all triumphant splendour on my brow;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Triumphant splendour – A victorious, dazzling glow.
- Brow – Forehead (or metaphorically, his life).
Explanation & Context:
His beloved once made him feel glorious and important, just as the sun lights up the morning sky.
Line 11: “But out, alack, he was but one hour mine,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Out, alack – An expression of sorrow or regret.
- One hour mine – His happiness was brief.
Explanation & Context:
Sadly, his beloved only shone on him for a short time, before disappearing like the sun behind clouds.
Line 12: “The region cloud hath mask’d him from me now.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Region cloud – A metaphor for obstacles or emotional distance.
- Mask’d – Covered or hidden.
Explanation & Context:
Now, his beloved is hidden from him, just like the sun gets covered by clouds, causing sadness and loss.
Line 13: “Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- No whit disdaineth – Does not resent or blame.
Explanation & Context:
Despite being abandoned or ignored, he does not hold any resentment toward his beloved.
Line 14: “Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Suns of the world – Powerful or important figures (e.g., kings, lovers).
- Stain – Become tarnished, flawed, or make mistakes.
Explanation & Context:
If the actual sun can be covered by clouds, then people (including his beloved) can also falter or change.
Final Analysis:
1. Theme of Transience and Betrayal
The sunlight represents love and happiness, but just as the sun is quickly covered by clouds, love and happiness can also fade unexpectedly.
2. Theme of Acceptance and Forgiveness
Despite the loss of warmth and affection, the speaker does not blame his beloved, accepting that change is natural.
3. Theme of Nature as a Reflection of Emotion
Shakespeare compares personal emotions to the natural world, showing how love can be as unpredictable as the weather.
Shakespeare’s Message:
This sonnet expresses a heartbreak that is mournful yet forgiving. It teaches that just as the sun inevitably returns after a storm, love and happiness may return as well.
Summary
In Sonnet 33, Shakespeare uses an extended metaphor of the sun to describe a brief period of joy followed by disappointment. The poem opens with a vivid image of a glorious morning, where the sun bathes the world in golden light. However, the sun’s beauty is fleeting, as dark clouds soon obscure it, stealing its brilliance away.
The speaker then applies this natural imagery to his personal experience. He likens his beloved to the sun, describing how they once brought light and happiness to his life. Yet, just as the sun can be covered by clouds, his beloved’s affection has suddenly been withdrawn.
Despite this emotional betrayal, the speaker refuses to resent his beloved. He acknowledges that even the greatest forces (like the sun) are subject to temporary stains, implying that human flaws and disappointments are part of life.
Critical Analysis
This sonnet is one of the first indications of betrayal or distance in Shakespeare’s relationship with the beloved. The sun metaphor reflects both idealized love and the inevitability of change.
Unlike the angry or accusatory tone found in later sonnets dealing with betrayal, Sonnet 33 is more sorrowful than resentful. The speaker seems to accept the disappointment rather than fight against it, suggesting that love must withstand imperfections.
The final couplet introduces a philosophical resignation: if even the literal sun can be tarnished, then it is unreasonable to expect human relationships to remain perfect.
Theme Analysis
1. The Fleeting Nature of Happiness
- The poem illustrates how joy and love can be temporary, much like the sun shining one moment and being covered by clouds the next.
- The speaker’s happiness was short-lived, and he laments the sudden change in fortune.
2. Betrayal and Disillusionment
- The sun metaphor suggests a faithless lover or friend, who once brought warmth but is now emotionally distant.
- This could represent a romantic betrayal or a personal disappointment in a close relationship.
3. Acceptance of Imperfection
- Unlike later sonnets that express bitterness, this poem ends with acceptance.
- The speaker acknowledges that even the brightest things in the world can falter, and humans are no exception.
4. The Power of Nature as a Metaphor for Emotion
- Shakespeare often uses nature to mirror human emotions.
- The sun’s rising and setting parallel the rise and fall of love and joy.
Literary Devices
1. Extended Metaphor (Allegory)
- The sun represents the beloved or a joyful moment in the speaker’s life.
- The clouds symbolize disappointment, betrayal, or emotional distance.
- This metaphor spans the entire poem, making it an allegory for transient happiness.
2. Personification
- “Full many a glorious morning have I seen / Flatter the mountain tops with sovereign eye.”
→ The morning is described as having a “sovereign eye”, personifying the sun as a ruler bestowing favor. - “Kissing with golden face the meadows green.”
→ The sun is further personified as kissing the land with its golden light, emphasizing its warmth and life-giving power. - “Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace.”
→ The sun is described as “stealing away”, as if it feels ashamed or regretful.
3. Imagery
- “Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy.”
→ The word “alchemy” evokes transformation and magic, reinforcing the sun’s power to beautify the world. - “The region cloud hath mask’d him from me now.”
→ The image of a mask suggests deception or hidden emotions.
4. Contrast
- The poem contrasts light and darkness, joy and sorrow, presence and absence.
- The first quatrain describes the sun’s glory, while the second quatrain describes its sudden concealment.
- This shift mirrors the speaker’s emotional transition from happiness to sorrow.
5. Wordplay (Pun)
- “Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.”
→ “Suns” sounds like “sons,” hinting at human failings alongside natural ones.
The Volta (Shift in Tone)
- The first eight lines are purely about nature, describing a beautiful sunrise and its eventual clouding.
- The ninth line (“Even so my sun…”) marks the volta, where the speaker shifts from describing nature to revealing his personal sorrow.
- The final couplet serves as a resigned conclusion, accepting that even the best things in life are subject to imperfections.
Conclusion
Sonnet 33 is a deeply philosophical and melancholic poem that uses the metaphor of the sun to explore the fleeting nature of joy and love. While the speaker expresses disappointment, he ultimately accepts that imperfection is a natural part of both life and relationships.
Unlike some of Shakespeare’s later sonnets, which are filled with anger or bitterness, this poem remains gentle in its sorrow, suggesting that true love endures even through its flaws.
