Summary

The poet describes himself as being “weary with toil” and trying to sleep. The somber mood announces a new phase in the relationship. In the first four lines, the poet likens his state of mind to traveling afar. Restlessly, he cannot sleep because his mind is filled with thoughts of the youth: “Lo, thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind, / For thee and for myself no quiet find.”

With Sonnet 27, the poet seems to regard the youth’s affection less securely. Their absence from each other signals a coolness in the relationship. The physical distance, however, does not dull the youth’s alluring beauty; the poet imagines the young man as a blinding, brilliant jewel. In line 10, the poet’s seeing the youth’s “shadow” makes their relationship seem more tenuous, for “shadow” in this context represents the youth’s image, which no longer has substance.