OF THE CONCLUSIONS TO BE DRAWN FROM THE SONNETS
The result of the preceding discussion, as it appears to me, is as
follows:
The Sonnets were not written by Shakespeare, but it is very probable
that he was the friend or patron around whom their poetry moves and to
whom most of them are addressed.
Reading the entire series with that theory in mind, very many
difficulties of interpretation are entirely overcome. Without this
theory so many of the Sonnets seem blind, or obviously false or
inaccurate, that many have been led to the inference of conceits,
affectations, imitations, or hidden meanings. Adopting the theory here
presented, there is neither reason nor excuse for giving to their
words any other than their natural or ordinary meaning.
I would not deny to Shakespeare great talent. His success in and with
theatres certainly forbids us to do so. That he had a bent or a talent
for rhyming or for poetry, an early and persistent tradition and the
inscription over his grave indicate. And otherwise there could hardly
have been attributed to him so many plays beside those written by the
author of the Sonnets.
Assuming that the Sonnets were not written by him, it would then seem
clear that to Shakespeare, working as an actor, adapter or perhaps
author, came a very great poet, one who outclassed all the writers of
that day, in some respects all other writers; and that it is the
poetry of that great unknown which, flowing into Shakespeare's work,
comprises all, or nearly all of it which the world treasures or cares
to remember. I would not dispute any claim made for Shakespeare for
dramatic as distinguished from poetic talent, for wit, or comely or
captivating graces. The case is all with him there,--at least there is
no evidence to the contrary. But I insist that the Sonnets reveal
another poet, and reveal that those great dramas, or at least that
those portions of them which are in the same class or grade of poetry
as the Sonnets, were the work of that great unknown.
APPENDIX
The different versions of the verses which Shakespeare is alleged to
have composed on Sir Thomas Lucy are as follows:
A parliamente member, a justice of peace,
At home a poore scare-crow, at London an asse;
If lowsie is Lucy, as some volke miscalle it,
Then Lucy is lowsie, whatever befalle it:
He thinkes himselfe greate,
Yet an asse in his state
We allowe by his eares but with asses to mate.
If Lucy is lowsie, as some volke miscalle it,
Sing lowsie Lucy, whatever befalle it.
Sir Thomas was too covetous
To covet so much deer,
When horns enough upon his head
Most plainly did appear.
Had not his worship one deer left?
What then? He had a wife
Took pains enough to find him horns
Should last him during life.
Transcriber's Notes:
The following printing errors were corrected:
"Adronicus" corrected to "Andronicus" (book page 10).
"Th" corrected to "The" (Footnote 11).
"of" corrected to "on" (Footnote 11).
Comma changed to period at the end of Footnote 1.
Passages in italics indicated by underscore _italics_.
Otherwise, all printing is as appears in the original.
Additional spacing after some of the poetry and block quotes is
intentional to indicate both the end of a quotation and the beginning
of a new paragraph as is in the original text.