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Introduction

Sonnet 29 "I am just a man with a heart and sinful hands." That is a line from the song "Redemption" by August Burns Red. It is about a man that is depressed and ashamed about the things that he has done in his life. Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 is a similar story about a man who thinks he is outcast because of his physical, mental, or emotional condition. His fortune or social rank his rejection from a lover or from society. Possibly even his s****l orientation. Even though the speaker's pain remains a mystery, his cure is revealed. John F. Andrews said, "His religious devotion to another mortal, not a higher being such as God, transports him to Edenic bliss." In the first quatrain, the speaker is suffering from the isolation of misfortune. Although the speaker may not be out of luck or the publics favor the moment, at all. However, the strong emotions exhibited in the following lines (2-9) suggest that these "feelings of isolation and despair are not unfamiliar to him," said Levi Fox, indeed, by line 9, he seems to gain a certain satisfaction from wallowing in his self-pity. ...read more.

Middle

In Lines 6-7 the speaker continues to name the types of people he wishes to be like but proceeds to use descriptions with obscure or multiple meanings. David K. Weiser said "Not only does "featured" have several definitions, but it refers to three possible types. Those who are "rich in hope", those "with friends possessed," and perhaps those indicated by the speaker's pointed finger as he recites the first half of line 6." The speaker's admiration of someone's "art" may refer to his knowledge, abilities, or skills as a lover, a man's "scope" may be his freedom or his range of understanding. Paul Ramsey said "This paradox is Shakespeare's version of the clich� "the grass is always greener on the other side." Whatever the speaker possesses or formerly took pleasure in is now no longer a source of pride or amusement." The third quatrain, after the speaker approaches his deepest depths of self-loathing in line 9, he experiences a moment of transcendence and a remarkable change of heart. ...read more.

Conclusion

In the couplet, the "wealth" that is brought by memories of the speaker's loved one has several possible meanings, supported by the language of the previous lines. Monetary wealth does not connect well with the idea of love, though it would help a person who had fallen out of luck with material "Fortune" (line 1). A wealth of friends, talents, or opportunities were wished for in lines 5 through 8 and are all valid interpretations. But a strong possibility also lies with the connection of wealth and religion. The speaker has been saved through his worship of a very different "King" (line 14) than Christ. Perhaps his final state is so heavenly that he would rather be surrounded by memories of his beloved than in any heavenly kingdom. Ironically, in Sonnet 29, the speaker's "state" has moved dramatically from that of miserable hopelessness to pure elation (happiness). Though he still stands separate from humankind, he now does so by choice. Although August Burns Red's song "Redemption" is about God accepting a man who wants forgiveness, the speaker and the man in the song end-up being happy. In the song the man is accepted by God and the speaker is happy about how things are now. ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Sonnets section.