Sonnet 85: My Tongue-Tied Muse In Manners Holds Her Still Poem by William Shakespeare

.shakespeares-sonnets.com/ This is another of the sonnets which undermines itself simply by existing. To say that 'I can say nothing' is itself to say something, and the disingenuous modesty which claims only to think good thoughts while at the same time offering, in poetic form, an offended criticism of others' poetic efforts of praise, clearly sets a higher value on his own expressions of love than the bare words of the poem admit to. There is therefore an undercurrent of thought which flows in a direction contrary to that of the main stream, for whereas the superficial meaning of the words claims that the work of other poets dedicated to the youth is golden, polished, refined and inspired, the underlying message is that it is empty breath, a hollow mockery of finical tracery and no substance. The only real eloquence, the poet seems to say, is that of the love in my breast, and the repetitive words of this poem, saying 'Amen Amen! ' to every word of praise that is ever uttered on your behalf, are more eloquent than more than all the words the other able spirits can ever produce. ...

... 10. And to the most of praise add something more; the most of praise = the best, the most superlative praise. 11. But that is in my thought, whose love to you, But that - but that which I add (the something more of the previous line) . 12. Though words come hindmost, holds his rank before. come hindmost = follow behind; holds his rank before = i.e. my thought (of love for you) precedes any words, as being of higher rank. The phrase could also hint at 'holds on to his former rank, i.e. his former prime position in your love'. The metaphor conjures up the image of a procession in which the social rank of the participants dictates their position, those of higher rank being at the front. 13. Then others, for the breath of words respect, the breath of words - i.e. the sound of the spoken words, rather than their meaning. An attempt to belittle the effect of words composed by the rival poets. But in 81 he told a different story: You still shall live- such virtue hath my pen- Where breath most breathes, even in the mouths of men.81. The implication is that the rival poet's verses are empty because the heart does not speak in them. Compare Lear, when Kent criticises false and hypocritical speech in others and praises Cordelia for her plainess: Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness. KL.I.1.151-2. 14. Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect. in effect = in reality; in the effect they have, or should have, on you. The suggestion is that his dumb thoughts are of more value and more effectual than all the empty words of the rival's verses. shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/85