AS 2011/2012

                                                                                                           Piero Cavallari    cl.4A

Text Analysis

If thou must love me, let it be or nought

As the reader can note the sonnet bears the same title of its first line, he understands it's part of a collection. It consists of 14 lines and it's possible to identify the typical Shakespearean structure.

The title immediately creates curiosity because the intelligent reader asks himself why the writer poses some conditions (suggested by the use of if thou must love me) to love someone. In the second line she, the writer, invites her lover to love her just for love. The reader can suppose all the sonnet will be a lyrical investigation about the conditions of love on the part of the speaking voice.

The first quatrain introduces a dialogue between the poetess and her devotee: the use of imperative forms such as let it be, do not say convey there is an invitation about loving her in certain way, not for her physical appearance instead for a trick of thought, her clever opinion, her intelligence. Indeed if the reader analyzes carefully the last two lines in the opening quatrain, he notes nouns as smile, look, way of speaking, which indicate not physical appearance (for example eyes or lips) but the behaviour, the way to approach somebody.

As a result in the first quatrain she anticipates the qualities of love she adheres to, which are also the main content of the sonnet.

The poetess wants to be appreciate for her mental qualities. All the remaining sonnet provides the argumentation for her choice.

The speaking voice seems to tell her interlocutor that in her opinion love's not such when you love somebody for her smile - her look - her way of speaking gently. Love implies something different, going beyond attitude. Love does not bring in a sense of pleasant ease.

The poetess isn't overjoyed with a man she is interested in being attracted to her smile and overall grace; she has more experience about life, society and men, knows what she wants a guy to be interested in, and knows that all those little things that they may find appealing are not going to make love real. She recognizes these qualities may be endearing, however, love is more powerful than that.

The ending couplet refers to the first lines to create a sense of  perfect finish in her thoughts, full of the true and deep meaning of love.