In Quatrain 1, Shakespeare introduces the life topic of depression; as the narrator battles this within himself, a conflict is presented to the audience. The narrator “beweep[s] [his] outcast state,” which translates the narrator’s discontentment with his life. An outcast is a person who has been rejected by a group of people, typically a society, and it is by this idea that his discontentment stems from. As he “look[s] upon [himself] and curse[s] [his] fate,” it becomes clear that his internal conflict has taken over his life. This being said, it would take a very strong power to pull him out of this state of mind. As an archetype, love is the power above all powers; this idea will eventually become the narrators saving grace. …show more content…
Shakespeare’s diction is powerful yet subtle, exemplified by the fact that he “[desires] this man’s art, and that man’s scope.” Although these words are not extravagant, they glorify the qualities of this theoretical man-god. The raising of this figure to a seemingly unattainable elevation conveys just how far down the hole of depression the narrator has found himself. As the sonnet transitions into Quatrain 3, the narrator discusses how “in these thoughts myself almost despising;” by this the stage is set for love to become a magical