Poem Analysis - Sonnet 143 Lo As A Careful Huswife Runs To Catch

A Helpless Plea for Affection

Shakespeare's Sonnet 143 presents a poignant picture of unrequited attention and longing. The poem uses the extended metaphor of a busy housewife chasing a runaway chicken to illustrate the speaker's desperate pursuit of a lover who is preoccupied with something else. The tone is initially one of resigned observation, tinged with sadness, but it shifts towards a hopeful, almost pleading, tone in the final couplet. The poem ultimately expresses the speaker's desire for love and affection, conditional on the lover achieving their own desires.

The Unreachable Beloved

One of the central themes is the pursuit of the unattainable. The lover in the poem is constantly running "after that which flies from thee," mirroring the housewife's frantic chase after the chicken. This creates a sense of distance and frustration. The speaker, likened to a neglected "babe," is left behind, "chasing thee afar," highlighting the lover's inaccessibility. This theme explores the pain of wanting someone who is emotionally unavailable or whose attention is focused elsewhere, leaving the speaker feeling insignificant and abandoned.

Maternal Love and Neglect

The poem heavily relies on the image of motherhood, both present and absent. The "careful huswife" is supposed to embody nurturing love, but her actions demonstrate a temporary abandonment of her child. This dichotomy is crucial. The lover is implicitly cast as a mother figure, and the speaker as a child yearning for her attention. The "poor infant's discontent" emphasizes the emotional distress caused by this neglect. However, the hope for a return to the "mother's part" – to "kiss me, be kind" – reveals the speaker's unwavering desire for affection and validation. Is Shakespeare suggesting that romantic love can also have maternal qualities?

The Symbolism of the Chase

The central image of the chase serves as a powerful symbol throughout the sonnet. The "feathered creature" represents the lover's fleeting desires or aspirations, something the lover is desperately trying to capture. The speaker's own "loud crying" can be interpreted not just as a literal cry, but as an expression of deep-seated emotional need. The act of chasing highlights the imbalance in the relationship. The speaker is not pursued; instead, they are the pursuer, constantly striving for a connection that seems just out of reach. The success of this pursuit seems dependent on the lover catching the chicken.

Conditional Devotion and Lasting Impact

Sonnet 143 is a poignant exploration of longing, neglect, and the conditional nature of affection. The extended metaphor of the housewife chasing the chicken effectively conveys the speaker's feelings of being overlooked and undervalued. The final couplet reveals a willingness to support the lover's pursuits ("So will I pray that thou mayst have thy Will") but only if it leads to a return of affection. The poem's significance lies in its ability to capture the universal experience of unrequited love and the human need for connection and validation.