Sonnet 24: Mine Eye Hath Played the Painter and Hath Stelled
Sonnet 24: Mine Eye Hath Played the Painter and Hath Stelled - meaning Summary
Sight as Painter and Window
The speaker compares his eye to a painter that has painted the beloved’s image onto his heart, with his body as the frame and perspective as the technique. He stresses reciprocity: the beloved’s eyes serve as windows into his breast, letting light and attention in. Yet the final line cautions that sight only reproduces appearance; eyes can copy what they see but cannot truly apprehend or know the inner heart.
Read Complete AnalysesMine eye hath played the painter and hath stelled Thy beauty’s form in table of my heart; My body is the frame wherein ’tis held, And perspective it is best painter’s art. For through the painter must you see his skill To find where your true image pictured lies, Which in my bosom’s shop is hanging still, That hath his windows glazèd with thine eyes. Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done: Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee. Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art: They draw but what they see, know not the heart.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.