What Is The Mood Of The Poem 144 By Shakespeare

In sonnet “144,” by William Shakespeare, the speaker’s tone is fatalistic because, even though he knows his good angel is in danger, he accepts the fact his good angel will get hurt. In the very first line of the poem, the speaker identifies the two angels he is in a love triangle with: “Two loves I have of comfort and despair” (1). The speaker immediately gives the reader perspective because he identifies the good and bad of the poem, telling the reader what he will focus on. Soon after he describes his lovers as “a man right fair,” (3) and “a woman colour’d ill,” (4); Because the speaker says this, it shows the reader who he favors, and how he feels about his two lovers. The speaker shows what he cares about because of his description. As the second quatrain arrives, the speaker begins to discuss the relationship between his two lovers. He speaks of the evil angel, and what she does to the good one: “tempteth my better angel,” (6) and “corrupt my saint,” (7). The speaker shows some concern for the better angel because he makes it sound like the bad angel causes harm on him as well, but he shows no desire to save his saint. After the Volta, the speaker -once again- declares his love for the good angel.

Although he seems to love the better angel, the speaker still refuses to save him: “I ne’er know, but live in doubt,” (13), The speaker says this because he feels concerned for his saint, but accepts the fact he cannot save him. In conclusion, the speaker’s tone in sonnet “144” is fatalistic because he would rather accept what will happen than change it.
A theme of sonnet “144,” is: When one has multiple lovers, he/she cannot truly love either of them and continue to make themselves and their lovers happy. The speaker begins the poem boldly declaring his issue: “Two loves I have,” (1). This is an issue because love triangles never end in success, and they never leave anyone happy. More dilemmas arise when the speaker’s lover of despair “tempteth my better angel” (6). Because more than two lovers are in play, it becomes possible for the speaker’s lovers to fall for each other; however, this is unsafe for his better angel because the bad angel will try to hurt the good one. Soon after, the speaker becomes increasingly concerned when the angel of despair begins “wooing his purity” (8). The speaker does not want his better angel to succumb to this bad angel because then he will lose both of them. The speaker finds the root of his problem after the Volta: “But both being from me, both to each a friend,” (11). The speaker knows his lovers met because of him. He assumes “One angel in another’s hell” (12) and goes on to state what he will never know. Because the speaker has more than one lover, they fell for each other, leaving him behind. After he left him, the better angel gets heartbroken by the bad angel, causing no one happiness. In conclusion, a theme of sonnet “144” is when you have more lovers than you need, it never ends happily for any of the members because no one is satisfied because the speaker ends the poem with no lovers when he started with two.