The speaker of the sonnet is a man entirely consumed by unrequited romantic passion. He experiences love as a powerful, almost destructive force that dictates his mental and emotional state. When separated from the object of his affection, he feels physically and spiritually lost, comparing himself to a blind man. He ultimately desires isolation, preferring to weep in private rather than share his emotional distress with other men.

Laura is the speaker's beloved and the central focus of his intense devotion. She embodies the ideal of an inaccessible mistress, maintaining a vast distance from the speaker's passionate declarations. Her physical beauty is equated with blinding, life-giving light that possesses the power to melt the speaker's heart. Through her absence and silence, she exercises total control over the speaker's emotional well-being.