Against That Time, If Ever That Time Come - Sonnet No. 49 by Shakespeare

Song Meaning

This sonnet confronts a future moment of potential rejection, where the speaker anticipates their beloved frowning upon their flaws. The narrator imagines a time when love's initial fervor has cooled, leading to a critical "audit" of their relationship. This imagined future is marked by a chilling distance, where the beloved might "strangely pass" and offer only a faint greeting, their "sun, thine eye" dimmed. The core tension lies in the speaker's preemptive defense against this anticipated heartbreak. They "ensconce me here / Within the knowledge of mine own desert," essentially arming themselves with an awareness of their own shortcomings. This self-knowledge becomes a shield, a way to prepare for the beloved's potential judgment and the "lawful reasons" they might find to withdraw their affection. The most striking craft here is the speaker's paradoxical "hand against myself uprear." This isn't an act of self-harm, but a strategic positioning. By acknowledging their own faults and even presenting them as valid grounds for the beloved's departure, the speaker attempts to control the narrative and perhaps soften the blow. It's a complex maneuver, using self-criticism as a form of protection. What makes these lines resonate is the raw vulnerability masked by intellectualized defense. The speaker isn't just sad; they're strategizing their sorrow. The sonnet captures that painful moment of foresight, where love's potential end is so vividly imagined that the speaker must build defenses before the actual threat even arrives, all because they "can allege no cause" for love's continuation.