Sonnet 97: How Like A Winter Hath My Absence Been
How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December’s bareness everywhere!
And yet this time removed was summer’s time;
The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,
Bearing the wanton burden of the prime,
Like widow’d wombs after their lords’ decease:
Yet this abundant issue seemed to me
But hope of orphans, and unfathered fruit;
For summer and his pleasures wait on thee,
And, thou away, the very birds are mute:
Or, if they sing, ’tis with so dull a cheer,
That leaves look pale, dreading the winter’s near.
Line 1:
“How like a winter hath my absence been”
Difficult words meaning:
- Winter: A metaphor for coldness, barrenness, and sorrow.
- Absence: Separation from the beloved.
Explanation:
The speaker begins by comparing his time away from the beloved to the cold, barren, and sorrowful season of winter.
Context:
This line sets the tone for the sonnet, introducing the theme of separation and the emotional desolation it brings.
Line 2:
“From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!”
Difficult words meaning:
- Pleasure: Source of joy or happiness.
- Fleeting year: The passing seasons of the year.
Explanation:
The speaker refers to the beloved as the source of joy in his life, suggesting that without them, the passing of time feels empty and joyless.
Context:
This line emphasizes the beloved’s central role in the speaker’s happiness and the profound impact of their absence.
Line 3:
“What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!”
Difficult words meaning:
- Freezings: Coldness or emotional numbness.
- Dark days: Days filled with sadness or despair.
Explanation:
The speaker describes the emotional coldness and despair he has experienced during his separation from the beloved.
Context:
This line highlights the depth of the speaker’s sorrow and the emotional toll of being apart from the beloved.
Line 4:
“What old December’s bareness everywhere!”
Difficult words meaning:
- Old December: The cold, barren month of December.
- Bareness: Emptiness or lack of life.
Explanation:
The speaker compares his emotional state to the barrenness of December, suggesting that his life feels empty and lifeless without the beloved.
Context:
This line reinforces the metaphor of winter, emphasizing the speaker’s sense of emptiness and desolation.
Line 5:
“And yet this time removed was summer’s time;”
Difficult words meaning:
- Time removed: Period of separation.
- Summer’s time: The warm, abundant season of summer.
Explanation:
The speaker notes that the time of his separation from the beloved actually coincided with the season of summer, which is typically associated with warmth and abundance.
Context:
This line introduces a contrast between the speaker’s emotional state and the actual season, highlighting the disparity between his inner feelings and the external world.
Line 6:
“The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Teeming autumn: The abundant and fruitful season of autumn.
- Rich increase: Abundant harvest or growth.
Explanation:
The speaker describes autumn as a time of abundance and harvest, suggesting that the natural world is full of life and productivity.
Context:
This line continues the contrast between the speaker’s emotional barrenness and the natural world’s abundance.
Line 7:
“Bearing the wanton burden of the prime,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Wanton burden: The playful or abundant yield.
- Prime: The peak or best time.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that autumn carries the abundant yield of the best time of the year, further emphasizing the contrast with his own emotional state.
Context:
This line underscores the idea that while the natural world is thriving, the speaker feels empty and desolate.
Line 8:
“Like widow’d wombs after their lords’ decease:”
Difficult words meaning:
- Widow’d wombs: Wombs of widows, symbolizing emptiness.
- Lords’ decease: Death of their husbands.
Explanation:
The speaker compares the abundance of autumn to the emptiness of a widow’s womb after the death of her husband, suggesting that even in abundance, there is a sense of loss.
Context:
This line introduces a note of melancholy, as the speaker reflects on the emptiness that can exist even in times of apparent abundance.
Line 9:
“Yet this abundant issue seemed to me”
Difficult words meaning:
- Abundant issue: Rich harvest or yield.
Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges the abundance of the natural world, but suggests that it feels meaningless to him in the absence of the beloved.
Context:
This line reflects the speaker’s inability to find joy in the natural world’s abundance, as his emotional state is dominated by his separation from the beloved.
Line 10:
“But hope of orphans, and unfathered fruit;”
Difficult words meaning:
- Hope of orphans: The uncertain future of orphans.
- Unfathered fruit: Fruit without a father, symbolizing something incomplete or lacking.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that the abundance of the natural world feels like the uncertain future of orphans or fruit without a father, emphasizing his sense of incompleteness and loss.
Context:
This line underscores the speaker’s feeling of emptiness and the lack of fulfillment in the absence of the beloved.
Line 11:
“For summer and his pleasures wait on thee,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Wait on thee: Depend on or are connected to you.
Explanation:
The speaker claims that the joys of summer are dependent on the beloved, suggesting that without them, even summer feels joyless.
Context:
This line emphasizes the beloved’s central role in the speaker’s happiness and the profound impact of their absence.
Line 12:
“And, thou away, the very birds are mute:”
Difficult words meaning:
- Mute: Silent or without song.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that even the birds are silent in the absence of the beloved, further emphasizing the sense of emptiness and desolation.
Context:
This line reflects the speaker’s belief that the beloved’s absence has a profound impact on the natural world, making even the birds fall silent.
Line 13:
“Or, if they sing, ’tis with so dull a cheer,”
Difficult words meaning:
- Dull a cheer: Lackluster or joyless singing.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that if the birds do sing, their songs are joyless and lackluster, reflecting his own emotional state.
Context:
This line underscores the speaker’s inability to find joy in the natural world, as even the birds’ songs are affected by the beloved’s absence.
Line 14:
“That leaves look pale, dreading the winter’s near.”
Difficult words meaning:
- Pale: Lacking color or vitality.
- Dreading: Fearing or anticipating with anxiety.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes by suggesting that even the leaves look pale and lifeless, as if they are dreading the approach of winter, further emphasizing the sense of desolation and impending sorrow.
Context:
This final line ties together the sonnet’s central theme: the speaker’s profound sense of loss and desolation in the absence of the beloved, and the impact this has on the natural world.
Overall Summary:
In Sonnet 97, Shakespeare explores the themes of separation, emotional desolation, and the contrast between inner feelings and the external world. The speaker compares his time away from the beloved to the cold, barren season of winter, despite the fact that his separation occurred during the abundant seasons of summer and autumn. He reflects on the emptiness and sorrow he feels in the beloved’s absence, suggesting that even the natural world’s abundance feels meaningless without them. The sonnet is a poignant meditation on the profound impact of separation and the deep emotional connection between the speaker and the beloved.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 97
Summary
In Sonnet 97, Shakespeare uses seasonal imagery to express the deep sorrow caused by his separation from the Fair Youth. Though the speaker was apart from the youth during summer and autumn, his absence made it feel like winter, a time of lifelessness and desolation.
The first quatrain establishes the metaphor:
- The poet describes his absence as “like a winter” despite it occurring during the “fleeting year” (summer).
- He experiences coldness, dark days, and barrenness, symbolizing emotional emptiness.
The second quatrain introduces a paradox:
- Though it was harvest time (“teeming autumn”), symbolizing abundance, the poet feels loss.
- He likens autumn’s abundance to “widowed wombs”—fruitful, yet missing their original source of life.
The third quatrain intensifies this sorrow:
- The poet dismisses the season’s bounty as “hope of orphans” and “unfathered fruit”, meaning that without the youth’s presence, even nature’s abundance feels incomplete.
The final couplet concludes with a powerful image:
- Birds, symbols of joy, are mute or sing without cheer.
- The leaves look pale, anticipating winter’s return—mirroring the poet’s sadness in the youth’s absence.
Critical Analysis
1. Seasonal Metaphor: Love as the Source of Life
- The poet’s love for the youth is equated with spring and summer, full of growth, warmth, and vitality.
- Without him, even the most fruitful seasons feel lifeless and barren.
2. The Paradox of Abundance and Loss
- Shakespeare describes autumn’s rich harvest but sees it as empty.
- The idea of “widowed wombs” suggests fertility without joy—nature produces, but the essential presence is missing.
3. Nature as a Reflection of Emotion
- Birds are silent, and leaves pale in anticipation of winter, reflecting the poet’s emotional state.
- This follows a common Shakespearean theme where external nature mirrors internal emotion.
4. The Role of Memory and Perception
- The speaker’s perception shapes his reality—despite the actual season, his emotional state turns summer into winter.
- This highlights the power of love and absence to distort time and experience.
Theme Analysis
1. Love and Absence
- The poem illustrates the pain of separation and how absence can make even joyful times feel empty.
2. The Power of Perception
- Despite the literal season, the poet’s feelings transform his surroundings.
- This suggests love is the defining force behind one’s experience of life.
3. The Fragility of Joy
- Even in autumn’s abundance, the poet feels deprivation.
- This reinforces the idea that external wealth and beauty are meaningless without emotional fulfillment.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor: Absence as Winter
- Winter represents emotional barrenness, coldness, and sorrow.
- Summer and autumn symbolize warmth, life, and abundance—yet, they feel like winter without the youth.
2. Personification: Nature Reflecting Emotion
- Birds are mute → Suggests that joy has left.
- Leaves look pale → Mirrors the poet’s fear and longing.
3. Paradox: Fruitfulness and Loss
- “Widowed wombs” and “unfathered fruit” → Creation without its original joy or purpose.
Conclusion
Sonnet 97 beautifully captures the depth of longing that comes with absence. Through seasonal imagery, Shakespeare conveys how love shapes our perception of time and reality. Even in nature’s most abundant moments, the poet feels only coldness and loss, emphasizing how love is the true source of life and joy.
