If Ever That Time Come - Sonnet 49 (4.7)

Hello Shakespeareans and welcome to the Meta-Sonnets Podcast.  Today, we’re going to look at Sonnet 4.7, also known as Sonnet 49.  For me, I’ve always liked the overlap of being in Section 4 while being in the forties.  Sonnets 43-49 are all in the fourth section.  However, that will end after today.  There’s nothing special about this.  I just like it.  However, on a more important note, this signals the halfway point through Section 4, and, after today, we’ll be seven poems into this fourteen sonnet section.

Sonnet 4.7 is a special poem in that it is incredibly ironic.  On one level, Shakespeare is celebrating his quote “laws,” with the interpretation that this is a reference to the laws of the sonnet or the laws of the secret structure, which for the most part are immutable.  So, Shakespeare is clearly indicating the importance of his rules or laws, but, at the same time, he’s completely breaking them in this section.  This is one of the reasons I love Section 4 so much.  There is a massive amount of irony here, and the thing is: we only see it if we know what we’re looking for.  Without knowledge of the meta-sonnets, all of this is lost on the reader.  So, as we go through the poem today, we can enjoy the extra meaning that, up until now, has been missed.  We get to enjoy the irony of the Narrator wrestling with the importance of his self-imposed laws while setting up the next two sonnets, in which he will brazenly and openly abandon the meta-sonnet structure.  For me, this is so cool, and I hope it is for you too.

In today’s episode, there are three topics that I feel I need to address, and I’ll go ahead and list them now.  The first is that I need to look at sonnets 4.6 and 4.7.  Are they a pair?  Yes or no?  And does this matter?  How important is it really?  The second thing is that I need to examine Sonnets 4.2-4.7 as a stanza.  Do these poems work as a unit?  If so, what is the meaning?  What can we construe by looking at these six poems as a singular group and not three couplet pairs?  Last, and this is where we’ll start, what is this poem about?  

Right now, I want to give you my reimagining of the poem.  This is my version presented in a way so that you can immediately understand my ideas.  Basically, I’m rewriting Sonnet 49 in such a way so as to explain my ideas.  You may think they’re crazy, but don’t worry, I will explain them more fully in the rest of the episode.  So, without further ado, here it is:

In anticipation of the time if the meta-sonnets are ever discovered, this poem will frown on Shakespeare’s shortcomings as a poet.  The worth of his poems will be fully understood and inspected by all angles by learned readers.  In anticipation of the time when The Sonnets is strangely reimagined and Shakespeare’s legacy is rethought through the clarity of his words. When his poems are converted from the thing they were to the thing they are now, there will be a period of recalibration and afterwards things will settle.  In anticipation of the time when the secret structure is discovered, Shakespeare is here in this poem all alone with knowledge of what he’s created. His pen stops him to protect their secrets.  After he is dead and the secret is discovered, readers will need the principles of literature to understand him, and then this work will move past him because he won’t be needed.

I hope that piqued your interest.  Sonnet 4.7 is a challenging poem, at least it is for me, and here’s why: my interpretation both works and doesn’t work.  Let me explain.  Some of these lines pop and prove me right.  For example, the first line: “Against that time (if ever that time come.)”  Well, hopefully you did your homework and pre-read the poem.  If so, you likely know that the second half of that line is in parenthesis.  The idea is that we’re anticipating something that may never happen.  Well, could this be a reference to the discovery of the meta-sonnets?  Obviously, I want to say yes.  Seriously, I do.  My inkling is to say that this is a poem about what will happen when the secret structure is discovered, if, and it’s a big if, if it’s discovered.  If ever that time comes.

Wow!  That’s cool, right?  However, I just told you this is a challenging poem.  The reason I say this is because I don’t understand about half of this poem.  As I’m going to repeatedly tell you: much of my interpretation is wishcasting and that’s because parts of it are just opaque to me.  For example, the last line:  “Since why to love me I can allege cause.”  I can guess and tell you what I want this to mean, but I’m not sure.  Much of my interpretation for this poem can best be described as a happy guess.  So, let me ask you: is wish casting a valid way of interpreting a poem?  Maybe, but I believe honesty is pretty important for this project.  I don’t mind saying I’m not sure and that’s mostly because I don’t think it proves me wrong.  For me, that’s like saying: if I don’t understand a few lines of King Lear, it means that it’s a bad play.  So, for this poem, I’ll be truthful and tell you my best case scenario.  As the listener, you can decide for yourself and enjoy the poems as you see fit.

Now, let’s read the poem and its modern translation.  Here’s Sonnet 49 or Sonnet 4.7:

Against that time, if ever that time come,

When I shall see thee frown on my defects,

Whenas thy love hath cast his utmost sum,

Called to that audit by advised respects;

Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass

And scarcely greet me with that sun thine eye,

When love, converted from the thing it was,

Shall reasons find of settled gravity;

Against that time do I ensconce me here

Within the knowledge of mine own desert,

And this my hand against myself uprear

To guard the lawful reasons on thy part.

 To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws,

 Since why to love I can allege no cause.

Here’s the No Fear Modern Translation:

In anticipation of the time, if it ever comes, when I will see you frown at my defects; when mature reflection tells you that you’ve come to the end of your love for me; in anticipation of that time when you will pass by me like a stranger, barely even acknowledging me with a glance of your brilliant eye; when your love for me isn’t love anymore and you’re guided only by somber judgment—in anticipation of that time, I’m establishing myself here, knowing how little I really deserve, and I’m giving testimony against myself to defend the justice of your future actions. You have every right to leave poor me—all the laws of reason back you up—since I can’t offer any justification for your loving me.

Alright, so I’m going to go line by line through the poem.  For me, as the podcaster, this is a struggle.  I fear this makes the episode too tedious for you my dear listener, but I’m also here to present a deep dive and I have specific thoughts.  By going two lines at a time, I’m able to present my ideas in an easy to follow way, but I’m aware this lacks the type of interweaving that often makes a podcast more fun.  I’m doing my best and I hope you enjoy it.  If you can overcome my shortcomings, I’m sure you’ll enjoy these ideas for a long time.  Having said that, let’s begin.

Lines 1 and 2: Against that time, if ever that time come, when I shall see thee frown on my defects.

Here’s how I read this, the idea is that if the secret structure is ever discovered, the poem will frown on Shakespeare’s shortcomings as a poet.  But, here’s the critical question, what are the quote “defects?”  Obviously, the classical interpretation is that the Young Man will someday be disappointed that the Poet is old and filled with shortcomings.  However, even though that reading is valid, it has nothing to do with what we’re doing here.  “Defects” seems to also refer to the meta-sonnets.  However, there are two different interpretations.  The first is that Shakespeare wasn’t good enough to completely pull off his plan.  He wanted to make an 11x14, 154 poem sonnet sequence and feels that he didn’t quite hit his mark.  He may have finished the work, but it didn’t meet his expectations.  That’s a valid idea and it is explored in Act 5, the Dark Lady section, but it’s also a little generic because he’s just talking about the work as a whole and not any specific poem, section, or act. 

The other interpretation is that the “defects” are right here.  By that, I mean that this is a specific reference to Section 4.  Think about it.  Section 4 is  structurally a mess.  Obviously, we know, seemingly, that the real Shakespeare did this intentionally and that the narrator persona is a character.  The narrator is wrestling with the meta-sonnets, and in this poem he points out that if the secret structure is discovered, we, the audience, will see the defects.  Now, the poet does say the second person T-H-E-E “thee,” so it is me suggesting that Shakespeare is cueing us in with an Easter Egg.  Regardless, it’s a really cool idea.  We see the “defects” of Section 4 because the time has come when the meta-sonnets have been discovered.  In this way, the quote “defects” aren’t really flaws, but rather an authorial choice.  It’s an easter egg.

Lines 3 and 4: Whenas thy love hath cast his utmost sum, called to that audit by advised respects.

Okay, so here’s some wishcasting.  “Utmost sum” means that we know the full value of the sonnets because we have the secret structure to expand our knowledge of the poem.  The “audit by advised respects” is somehow a reference to future readers.  We are “advised” by the meta-sonnets and we are able to look at different aspects of the poems because of this.  The funny word is “audit.”  Obviously, this is an accounting term, and it’s ironic for me.  Without getting too far off on a tangent, I discovered the secret structure sort of randomly when I realized that the Dark Lady section had 28 poems and this was 14x2.  This led me to figure out there was a secret structure before I’d even read all the poems.  As such, I was figuring out what the meta-sonnets were as I went since I was reading many of the poems for the first time.  In a sense, this was an audit.  I was checking the books to see the debits and credits and decided if all the numbers balanced out.  That’s why I love the word “audit” because much of what we’re doing here is a numbers game.  “The Sonnets” has 400 years of legacy, but thanks to a secret code, we’re able to decode things previously unseen.  Or at least, that’s what I want this to mean.

Lines 5 and 6: Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass and scarcely greet me with that sun thine eye.

Again, we're in wishcasting territory, but I hope you like the idea.  Here’s my interpretation:  In anticipation of the time when The Sonnets is strangely reimagined and my legacy is rethought through the clarity of my words.  So, I want this to mean that Shakespeare is pondering some sort of future where his masterpiece is reexamined and what that will then do to the work.  It’s a really cool thought and quite frankly I wonder this myself.  What happens to Shakespeare in the twenty-first century if academia is forced to reconcile what every great literature scholar of the past four hundred years has missed?  Personally, I don’t know, but I want to find out.

The other part I want to spotlight is the last three words, “sun thine eye.”  I just want to draw reference to one of the most famous poems ever: “My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun.”  Or, as I read it, “the structure is nothing like transparency.”  Normally, I don’t like cross referencing poems that aren’t in the same section or act, but this is basically the same words conveying the same idea.  And, it’s worth noting.

Lines 7 and 8: “When love, converted from the thing it was, shall reasons find of settled gravity.”

So, let’s be clear, the wishcasting continues, but I’d ask: what else could this mean?  My interpretation is: When poems are converted from the thing they were to the thing they are now, there will be a period of recalibration and afterwards things will settle.

The idea of “converted from the thing it was” is a super challenging statement.  The Bard had no idea what the future would hold, but it’s our present and I actually have a really good idea of how resistant the literary establishment is to accept this change.  However, if academia accepts that the meta-sonnets are a real thing, Shakespeare’s Sonnets will be converted into something new.  The purpose of this podcast is both to promote and explain what that new thing is, but it is fair to call it a conversion.

The next part I want to highlight is quote “settled gravity.”  This is the only time the word “gravity” is used in the work, and I really want to play with the word for a minute.  Obviously, my perspective is from the present, but this is a poem about the future.  So, I think we can analyze Shakespeare’s prediction.  Now, I’m a huge science fiction fan who loves to read space operas, so it’s fair to suggest that my interpretation of “gravity” and Shakespeare’s might not be the same.  Hence, I won’t go into physics and I certainly don’t want to use astrophysics.  Therefore, in the most basic of interpretations, “gravity” is a force that pulls that cannot be changed, and there’s no way to change gravity.  Therefore, there’s two possible meanings.  One is that this is a reference to the structure.  Shakespeare's decision to write sonnets isn’t a choice, it’s gravity.  It’s like a law of nature, and he has no other option.  He isn’t able to write any other way.  The second option is that “gravity” is modern academia.  There’s no doubt that the literary establishment is a force with immense strength.  

Okay, I need to go against what I just said and I now have to use astrophysics to explain my idea.  Imagine in your mind the earth and the moon.  The moon is caught in the earth’s gravity.  Now, as a thought experiment, imagine if the moon’s orbit was radically altered.  What would happen?  It would be a huge change that might have massive implications on earth, possibly really bad.  However, eventually, the situation would quote “settle.”

So, yeah, I’m wishcasting because I’ll be the first to admit that I’m using the ideas from the 21st century to explain words written 400 years ago by an author that is notoriously hard to understand.  I’m not unaware of this, but I do think there’s enough in these words to give credence to the idea.  And, at the same time, what else could these lines mean?  My belief is that “settled gravity” is the idea that the legacy of The Sonnets is firmly established and isn’t that mutable, but the meta-sonnets is like a wrecking ball that destroys.  Or more apt to my astrophysics examples, it’s an asteroid hitting the planet with the force of ten billion nuclear warheads.  This thing is going to wipe out everything and force life to start again anew.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit of hyperbole, but not by much.

Now, let’s get to the turn:

Lines 9 and 10: Against that time do I ensconce me here within the knowledge of mine own desert.

With these lines, I read this as, “In anticipation of the time when the secret structure is discovered, I’m here all alone with knowledge of what I’ve created.”  The idea, if we can believe that the real Shakespeare is being truthful, is that this is a frank confession that he told no one about the meta-sonnets.  Of course we have no way of knowing if he actually told anyone.  But, then again we do have the evidence of four hundred years of silence on the topic.  So, I’m inclined to believe the secret stayed with Shakespeare, but more importantly, here is a direct reference to it.  This also challenges us because we can only imagine how lonely it must have been for the Bard to create the 11x14 structure and keep it to himself.  When something is quote the “knowledge of mine own desert,” that means no one else knows.  The turn for this sonnet is an admission to the reader that, not only is the secret part of the plan, but also that quote “Shakespeare” is waiting for us.  The true Shakespeare, or whatever that means, is suggesting that the greatest parts of this story are still waiting to be read.  For me, if I can get personal, this is why I’m making this podcast.  I want to share the story that I see.  Shakespeareans have been reading the Bard for 400 years, but they’ve never seen this.  It’s crazy, but I want to share it.

Lines 11 and 12: And this my hand against myself uprear to guard the lawful reasons on thy part.

My reading of these lines is: My pen stops me to protect the secrets in the poems.  Or something like that.  There’s really two ideas.  The first is that he’s getting in his own way, stopping himself which kind of makes sense.  Obviously, Shakespeare put a ton of work into this, and ironically he disguised his full accomplishment.

The most interesting words here are “lawful reasons.”  I think it’s easy to see the word “lawful” and think about legal terms.  That’s fine, but what about the laws of physics or what about the laws of storytelling?  For example: aren’t sonnets and five act plays bound by laws?  Because I believe the answer is yes.  Without a doubt, we can debate whether or not that is the right meaning right here, but at the same time, it is a fun idea.  The second word “reasons” also has alternative meanings.  One is “explanation.”  For example: I have my reasons for not wanting to go see the new superhero movie.  But, a different meaning is “philosophical thinking.”  For example, Renee Descartes reasoned, “I think, therefore I am.”  

So, quote “lawful reasons” can be construed to mean - using the principles of literature to reasoning out what is revealed by the meta-sonnets, and it’s kind of a fascinating idea.  Seemingly, Shakespeare laid bare an idea in plain sight that he knew wouldn’t be obvious without the key.  However, once the key was discovered, readers would need to use literary principles to reason out what had previously been unseen.  It makes me wonder if Shakespeare himself was wondering if we’d fully figure it out.

Now it’s time for the couplet:  To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws, since why to love I can allege no cause.

So, you remember at the start of the episode when I said that there are parts of this poem that don’t make sense, well here we are.  I can wishcast line 13, but line 14 is just a blind guess.   Anyway, here’s a wild attempt: after I am dead and the secret is discovered, readers will need the principles of literature to understand me, and then this work will move past me because I won’t be needed.

Okay, don’t hate me if you think that’s crazy because I’m not completely happy with it.  I’m definitely imposing ideas here.  However, what else can I do with these lines?  If you have a better idea, I’m all ears.  Honestly though, I don’t think it matters.  Whatever the answer or answers are, the meta-sonnets work.  Therefore, I’m not going to dwell on this and I’m going to move on.

This brings us to our next topic, and we need to zoom out.  Sonnets 4.6 and 4.7 are a pair and sonnets 4.2-4.7 are a sextet.  Seemingly, this may not be important to you, but it is to me because I really care about 16232.  It’s a big reason why I picked this section to spotlight in the podcast.  Sonnet 4.6 is about a prize for thieves and Sonnet 4.7 is about discovery.  There are differences but the themes are similar.  As a group, these six sonnets are different aspects about how the structure works.  Sonnets 4.2 and 4.3 talk about the balance of power between the poet and his poems.  Sonnets 4.4 and 4.5 are about the battle between the poems and the structure.  Then, the sextet ends with the poems from today and last week’s episode. 

So, is this a group?  Well, I believe the unequivocal answer is yes.  They’re all about the structure and the poet’s relationship to the work.  They are so deep and filled with philosophical ideas.  Personally, I think it’s a tragedy that they’ve been completely overlooked, but that’s why we're here.  For me as a reader of Shakespeare, I need to see structure in Section 4, and not just randomness.  Maybe this is just a personal pitfall for me, but the Bard is the most structure obsessed writer in history.  For me, and again, I am speaking for myself, I need Section 4 to have some sort of cohesion.  I get it if other readers don’t see a sextet, but I do, and I think it is important for framing the entire section.  Without it, we essentially have chaos and randomness and that’s everything that the meta-sonnets are not.  The entire concept of 11x14 is to create something planned and pretend it’s random.  If this sextet is just an unplanned flow, then the overall beauty of the section is less.  It’s just not as much fun.  Maybe that’s just me, but I feel strongly about this and it brings us to the next subject.

The final idea I want to explore is the irony.  The sextet that we’ve just explored is all about the meta-sonnets, but we know ironically that the Narrator has abandoned 4442 in favor of the seemingly random 16232.  It’s like a minister preaching virtue while secretly living a life of vice and sin or a doctor lauding the importance of living a healthy life while secretly smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.  It’s a little weird, but the main point is that the poet is showing us his obsession with structure while struggling with the reality that he’s breaking it.  I cannot stress to you how much I love this, and, as a reader, I’m just in awe.  It’s like the meta-sonnets are in the background as the subtext for everything.

And this sets us for the next episodes.  Sonnets 4.8 and 4.9 historically have been completely ignored poems, but I think they are two of the most underappreciated poems in the work.  In them, Shakespeare is going to openly admit that he’s abandoning the structure, that it’s slowing him down and getting in his way.  Then, jumping ahead to Sonnet 5.1, Shakespeare is going to start with three words, “Being your slave,” meaning that Shakespeare will be bound again to the structure.  However, we’re not there yet.  In the next episode, Shakespeare’s going to openly decide to abandon the structure and literally give voice to what he’s already doing. 

So, as we zoom out, I hope the narrative arc for Act 2 is coming into view.  Section 4 is about the purpose of the structure with both positive and negative benefits.  At the same time, the Narrator is proving his point by abandoning the structure.  And we as readers know, ultimately that this flight of fancy will be short lived, but it’s so much fun while it’s happening.

I love sharing this with you, and I hope that you enjoy it too.  The next two poems are near and dear to me and I can’t wait to explore them with you.   Thanks for listening.