Poem Analysis - Sonnet 113 Since I Left You Mine Eye Is In My Mind

Introduction: Obsessive Love and Distorted Perception

Shakespeare's Sonnet 113 presents a portrait of obsessive love, where the speaker's perception of the world is completely altered by his beloved. The poem's tone is initially descriptive, detailing the speaker's skewed vision, but it shifts towards a more troubled and self-aware reflection on the nature of his altered reality. The speaker is no longer able to see the world as it is, but instead filters every image and experience through the lens of his beloved's image. Ultimately, the poem explores the paradox of how intense love can both enrich and distort one's understanding of reality.

The Overpowering Presence of Love

One of the main themes in the poem is the overpowering nature of love, specifically how it can consume and distort one's perception. The very first line, "Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind," immediately establishes that the speaker's physical sight is secondary to the mental image of his beloved. The speaker's mind, dominated by thoughts of the loved one, has become the primary source of his vision. This idea is further developed through descriptions of how the speaker's eye, though seemingly functional, fails to accurately convey images to the heart, the seat of emotion and understanding. The world itself is merely a canvas upon which the beloved's image is projected.

Distorted Reality and the Loss of Objectivity

The poem also explores the theme of distorted reality. The speaker's mind cannot process the world objectively. “For if it see the rud’st or gentlest sight,/ The most sweet-favour or deformed’st creature,/ The mountain or the sea, the day or night,/ The crow or dove, it shapes them to your feature." Every element of the external world, regardless of its inherent qualities, is transformed into a reflection of the beloved. This imagery highlights the speaker's inability to experience the world for what it is, instead experiencing a subjective and altered reality defined by love. The poem underscores a potential danger of passionate love: the risk of losing oneself and one's sense of the world.

Paradox of Truth and Untruth

The concluding couplet introduces a final theme: the paradox of truth and untruth. The lines "Incapable of more, replete with you,/ My most true mind thus maketh mine untrue" presents a compelling contradiction. The speaker acknowledges that his mind, though filled with a "most true" love, ultimately creates an "untrue" perception of reality. This suggests that the intensity of his love, while sincere, leads to a falsification of his sensory experiences. It raises questions about the nature of truth itself, and whether subjective experience, no matter how genuine, can ever fully align with objective reality. The sonnet form, with its concise structure and final rhyming couplet, serves to emphasize this concluding paradox.

Recurring Imagery: The Blinded Eye

The image of the blinded or impaired eye is a central and recurring symbol in the poem. It represents the speaker's distorted perception and his inability to see the world clearly. The eye is "partly blind" and "effectually is out," suggesting that it is no longer a reliable instrument for conveying accurate information. This image is not literal blindness, but rather a figurative representation of the speaker's mind being so consumed by love that it filters out all other sensory input, replacing it with the image of the beloved. Is the speaker lamenting this distorted perception, or embracing it as a testament to the power of his love? This remains ambiguous, leaving room for varied interpretations.

Conclusion: The Price of Obsessive Devotion

In conclusion, Sonnet 113 offers a complex and nuanced portrayal of love's transformative and potentially distorting power. Through vivid imagery and introspective reflection, Shakespeare explores the themes of obsessive love, distorted reality, and the paradoxical nature of truth and untruth. The poem suggests that while love can be a powerful and enriching experience, it can also lead to a loss of objectivity and a skewed perception of the world. The speaker's "untrue" mind, though born of "most true" love, serves as a cautionary reminder of the potential price of such intense devotion, urging us to consider the balance between passion and perspective.