The first question I had while reading these three sonnets was whether they are all still to the same person. The first seventeen seemed very directed to one person, whereas a 36 and 55 struck me as very universal. The relationship of mentor mentee is not altogether done away with in these three poems, for Shakespeare continues to be the dominant one in the relationship, making choices for the good of the object of the poem. In 36 it seems he is very directly telling the OOP that it's not going to work out between the two of them. "Let me confess that we two must be twain," and "Nor thou with public kindness honor me." It seems that he's telling the OOP that they loved each other, but it wasn't going to turn out well, urging and directing him to take another path.
Sonnet 20 seems to be Shakespeare lamenting this reality. He states "Till Nature, as she wrought thee, feel a-doting,/ and by addition me of thee defeated." He explains why he's so attracted to the OOP "A woman's face... A women's gentle heart... An eye more bright than theirs," yet also "A man in hue, all hues in his controlling." He laments that nature has made a mistake by turning this beautiful women into a man, but since the mistake has been made, their love is the true one, even though women may borrow the OOP. In this Sonnet, the relationship of mentor is very subtle if in fact it exists at all, but for some reason this sonnet just cracked me up. I love how it's basically saying, 'You're the perfect woman, but nature gave you the wrong equipment." It reminded me of the movie "Stage Beauty" that we watched in Drama class last quarter. It centered on a famous male actor who played female roles and had so accustomed himself to the movements and mannerisms of a woman that he could do little else.
Sonnet 36 made me think a lot about the meaning of love itself. Shakespeare says "In our two loves there is but one respect,/Though in our lives a separable spite,/ Which though it alter not love's sole effect,/Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love's delight." I already described the way I saw Shakespeare as a mentor in this Sonnet, directing that the OOP must move on. It's the way Shakespeare views the nature of love in this context that interests me most. The lines "Which though it alter not love's sole effect," and "I love thee in such sort, As, though being mine, mine is thy good report." stuck out to me. What is love's sole effect? What is he talking about here? Wanting the other person to have the best, a "good report"? Is the line between loving this young man as a mentee to encourage and help, loving him romantically, loving him like a son, and loving him like a friend really as important as we view it? If you want the best for someone else no matter what, and you'll sacrifice your own good for theirs, how much do the labels matter?
Sonnet 55 left me in wonder at how accurate Shakespeare's predictions were. He states that his descriptions of the OOP are going to live on through war, though monuments crumble and time march on, and that's essentially what has happened.