How oft, when thou, my music, music play’st Upon that blessèd wood whose motion sounds With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway’st The wiry concord that mine ear confounds, Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap To kiss the tender inward of thy hand, Whilst my poor lips, which should that harvest reap, At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand. To be so tickled they would change their state And situation with those dancing chips, O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait, Making dead wood more blest than living lips. Since saucy jacks so happy are in this, Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss. Written within the late 16th century, Shakespeare composed 154 sonnets that have been recognized as one of the most astonishing works of English literature. Common themes of these sonnets include beauty, love, and mortality. All of which are described using figurative language and illustrative wording. Each sonnet follows a 14-line iambic pentameter structure with an ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme. Shakespeare’s ability to capture complex human experience and emotion in such a concise piece of literary work has been recognized as timeless works that readers and scholars alike are able to resonate with to this day. Sonnet 128 by Shakespeare is a beautiful poem describing the love and jealousy of the speaker while they observe a woman play a piano like instrument. The speaker longs for closeness to the player that we can assume is a woman as she performs on a wooden instrument with admiring grace. The message of the sonnet was told by descriptive and figurative language. Instead of stating the image of a piano, lines such as “upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds” and the repetition of the word “jacks” were used to describe the sight of a piano being played. The illustration painted by Shakespeare puts the reader within his perspective and allows the reader to paint their own interpretation of the poem’s scene. In addition, poem reveals a jealousy that the speaker “envy those jacks” played by the woman. The speaker yearns for the woman's closeness she shares with her instrument as he personifies the “dancing chips” and the “blushing stand.” The speaker fantasies how the keys of the piano “kiss the tender inward” of the speaker’s hand. The intimate imagery shows the speaker's desire to be close to the woman. Shakespeare also contrasts the idea of living and inanimate objects within a few of his lines. The poet tells of “dead wood” having more attention than “living lips,” furthering the layer of jealousy and yearning. However, there is speculation that the subject of this sonnet is one that has been mentioned in many other sonnets, the black mistress. According to Robert Matz in an article detailing Shakespeare’s portrayal of a dark mistress, he states “the focus on sex in the sonnets to the black mistress reflects the way Renaissance women were often defined by their sexual being.” He later shows more examples detailing sexual language used to describe Shakespeare’s desire towards the woman and how writes of the “black mistress' unworthiness and promiscuity” (Matz). Other sonnets detailing the mistress include sonnets 127-132 and 147-152, according to author Lu Emily Pearson, portraying Shakespeare’s infatuation with the woman and their falling out. Although it is not for certain that the sonnet is describing the mistress, I believe that sonnet 128 is a part of a series of poems that describe such a woman that Shakespeare desires. Although these sonnets were published until 1609, Shakespeare's way of words continue to connect with readers in their own way( Encyclopedia). Sonnet 128 beautifully captures the complex emotions of admiration, desire, and unattainable love. Through his vivid use of descriptive wording and musical metaphors, Shakespeare not only conveys his deep longing for the mistress, but he also highlights tensions between physical attraction and emotional connection. Works Cited Matz, Robert. "A Woman Coloured Ill." Poetry Criticism, edited by Michelle Lee, vol. 98, Gale, 2009.Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420091409/LitRC?u=j199901004&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=55da962c. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024. Originally published in The World of Shakespeare's Sonnets: An Introduction, McFarland, 2008, pp. 109-152. Pearson, Lu Emily. "The Dark Lady Sonnets." Shakespearean Criticism, edited by Rebecca Parks, vol. 220, Gale, 2025. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/WYQVGO473093442/GLS?u=j199901004&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=9307fab7. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024. Originally published in Elizabethan Love Conventions, U of California P, 1933, pp. 273-282. "William Shakespeare." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 2023. Gale In Context: Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631005993/BIC?u=j199901004&sid=bookmark- BIC&xid=127d093e. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.