Sonnet 76

“Sonnet 76” deviates from many of Shakespeare’s other sonnets by opening with a question. The word “Why” (Lines 1, 3, 5) is repeated three times, creating a sense of the speaker’s frustration and powerlessness. While the poem can be read in iambic pentameter—placing the emphasis on the second words “is,” “with,” and “write” (Lines 1, 3, 5)—the instinct is instead to place emphasis on these pivotal opening words that encompass so much in so small a space. The first question draws attention to the “barrenness,” or unproductive emptiness, of the speaker’s creative work. The connection to the line’s closing word “pride” (Line 1) enhances the feeling of infertility; the poet has previously used this word in a sexual connotation, and the lack of it here creates an image of a womb that has lost its potential to produce. In this way, the speaker has lost their inherent purpose of artistic creation.

The speaker continues to ask why they are incapable of “variation or quick change” (Line 2). This may be a reference to the theater; in performance, a “quick change” refers to a choreographed costume change that can be done almost instantaneously, thereby creating multiple characters out of one person. The lack of it in the speaker’s work suggests a lack of flexibility, adaptability, and experimentation. This idea continues in the second question of the piece, when the speaker wonders why they don’t embrace new trends and ideas that are prevalent within the literary community. There is a dual edge to this statement, as the speaker berates themself for their lack of progress while also alienating those who flout tradition. They go on to explain that their own work has become so familiar that its origin is immediately recognizable, even if the creator’s name is not mentioned. This, too, can be seen as both positive and negative. The speaker lacks courage to try new things, but they have established themself as a strong, influential voice. The third and final question takes four lines to express rather than the preceding two, highlighting the complex duality of this idea.

In the second half of the poem, the narrative moves from questions to statements. While questions were directed inwards, the statements are directed outwards to the speaker’s “sweet love” (Line 9)—the Fair Youth associated with this set of sonnets. This change in syntax suggests that while the first half is driven by uncertainty, this second half is more confident because the speaker’s love is their unshaking constant. In other words, the ideas presented here are ones for which the speaker feels no ambiguity or discord. The speaker admits that all they can do is “dress[…] old words new” (Line 11) or repackage the same core themes and ideas into new structures. However, the self-destructive tone of the earlier lines has lifted and become more lighthearted and positive, as though the speaker has accepted this unchanging weakness as an integral part of themselves. They compare their love to the cycle of the sun—common and predictable, but always as extraordinary as though it was rising for the first time.