January 3, 2010

Sonnet 29


BBC2 ran a series called Essential Poems (To Fall in Love With).Thanks to(frklinee)on Youtube for sharing this clip of Matthew Macfadyen reading Shakespeare's Sonnet 29.

When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least.
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
–William Shakespeare

6 comments:

ds said...

Beautiful, thank you. May 2010 be good to you. Happy New Year!

Alistair said...

Thank you C-Pup.

Comfort calls down through the centuries carried softly in words so wise.

Al.

Moira said...

Oh my word! Delicious words and most delicious guy!

Solid Frog said...

Hope you have had a really nice christmas and new yaer and that 2010 will be a great! I really like you blondes in the earlier post.

Diane said...

Thanks for that!

Thought you would absolutely love this artist: I found the above illustration of one of Arcimboldo’s fabulous creations when I did a google image search on vegetables. Wow! He was born in Milan in 1527, the son of an artist. His fantastic works were rediscovered by the surrealists in the 20th century.

willow said...

Love it. LOVE it.