"Sonnet 27" is part of William Shakespeare's Fair Youth sonnet sequence, a large group of poems addressed to an unidentified—but apparently very attractive—young man. It occurs relatively early in the overall sequence and is the first of five poems in which the speaker contemplates this youth from afar. "Sonnet 27" specifically focuses on the obsessive, restless side of love and infatuation: the speaker is trying to sleep after a long, exhausting day, but his mind won't let him rest. Instead, he's kept awake by thoughts of his absent beloved.
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The Full Text of “Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"”
1Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
2The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
3But then begins a journey in my head
4To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired.
5For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
6Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
7And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
8Looking on darkness which the blind do see.
9Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
10Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
11Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
12Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
13Lo! Thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
14For thee and for myself no quiet find.
The Full Text of “Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"”
1Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
2The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
3But then begins a journey in my head
4To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired.
5For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
6Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
7And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
8Looking on darkness which the blind do see.
9Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
10Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
11Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
12Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
13Lo! Thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
14For thee and for myself no quiet find.
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“Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Summary
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“Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Themes
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Love, Separation, and Longing
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"”
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Lines 1-2
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; -
Lines 3-4
But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired. -
Lines 5-8
For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
Looking on darkness which the blind do see. -
Lines 9-12
Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
Makes black night beauteous and her old face new. -
Lines 13-14
Lo! Thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
For thee and for myself no quiet find.
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“Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
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Apostrophe
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Assonance
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Caesura
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Consonance
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Metaphor
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Oxymoron
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Repetition
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Simile
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“Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Weary
- Toil
- Haste
- Dear
- Repose
- Expired
- Abide
- Intend
- Zealous
- Pilgrimage
- Thee
- Thy
- Lo
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Speaker
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“Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"”
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More “Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"” Resources
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External Resources
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Who Was the Fair Youth? — Read about the debated identity of the sonnet's mysterious addressee.
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The Poem Out Loud — Listen to this sonnet (and the next) read by Patrick Stewart.
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The Sonnet Form — A brief overview of how the sonnet established itself as the best-known poetic form.
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The 1609 Quarto — The sonnets as they appeared in print during Shakespeare's lifetime.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by William Shakespeare
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