The theme of this sonnet is related to the expression of love and not sex. The articulation of love is from the poet to a young man. Unfortunately, there is a tendency that when there is an expression of love, there are some who will apparently see such an expression as mixed with sex; such a philosophy is apparently false. For example, parents love their children and express their love verbally and in other ways. Also, a dog is man’s best friend and his loving friendship manifests itself in different ways. Whenever a dog catches a crook or Frisbee flying through the air, the man will typically hug and kiss the dog, and on occasion the dog will receive a special dog treat as a loving token of affection or an expression of love.
Actually, the words in the first line of the poem tell a story about the sense of sight as follows: “A woman’s face, with nature’s own hand-painted.” This line refers to the subject, who has a woman’s face that no one could have put on the canvas; she is of the natural nature of God. Line two is an articulation with respect to that of a dichotomy of lover-lover affection as follows: “You have the master-lover of my passion”; This is kind of a rhetorical question about love and not sex. Here, the theme is twofold; in two different spheres, one masculine and one feminine. Naturally, the poet has a show of affection for the young man, who is the center of the controversy in this sonnet.
Apparently, there is a double nature in this poem. It’s one that should leave a big question mark of ambiguity on many readers’ tongues regarding the young man in the image: the objectification of male beauty. The young man is apparently displaying a double character, which is dramatic and obviously the focus of the dispute in this sonnet.
The author is apparently expressing love for the young man. However, it must be understood that the ambiguity of the writing and the changes of turn referred to in verse number four that says: “With change of turn, as in the manner of a false woman”, is a historical backdrop. for the poem. Obviously, the male gender was the one who normally played the female role in many plays during Shakespeare’s time. Also, the change of gender in these sonnets on various occasions over the years is another story. The historical nature of the time period should make it easy to visualize how gender plays a pivotal role in this affect of ambiguity.
The final analysis should lead one to conclude that the sonnet is about love and not about sex. The words in the last line of the poem, which is part of the theme, read as follows: “Mine be they love, and your love use their treasure.” Naturally, this verse and the previous discussions make this a poem of loving expression and not of physical sexual intercourse.
