Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The sonnet "Fair is my love, and cruel as she's fair" by Samuel Daniel is a Petrarchan sonnet consisting of an octave and a sestet. The octave presents the speaker's paradoxical description of his love as both fair and cruel. He observes that her beauty is unmatched, but her heart is cold and merciless. The speaker admits that he is drawn to her despite her cruelty, and his love is as strong as his despair.

The sestet begins with a volta, or a shift in the speaker's tone and focus. He now directs his attention to himself, questioning why he continues to love someone who causes him so much pain. The answer, he suggests, lies in the paradoxical nature of love itself. Love is both a torment and a pleasure, a burden and a blessing. The speaker accepts that his love for his cruel but fair lady is a part of him, and he cannot escape it.

The language and imagery in this sonnet are particularly striking. The juxtaposition of "fair" and "cruel" creates a tension that is mirrored in the sonnet's structure, with the octave and sestet offering contrasting perspectives on the speaker's love. The use of metaphors, such as "her eyes the glow-worm lend thee" and "her heart the cruel'st tyrant known," further emphasizes the paradoxical nature of the speaker's love.

Overall, "Fair is my love, and cruel as she's fair" is a powerful exploration of the complexity of love, and the paradoxical nature of human emotion.

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