William Shakespeares Sonnet Eight (Music To Hear, Why Hear’st Thou Music Sadly?) is the 8th of his 154 sonnets published in 1609. This is also the Eighth of the “Fair Youth” sonnets, in which an unnamed man is being addressed by the speaker. In addition to that, it’s the Eighth of the “procreation sonnets” where he feels compelled to convince the fair youth he’s addressing to get out there and get busy with procreation. Shakespeare’s criticism of the fair youth for not having children continues. This time, we see how harmonious the young man’s life might be if he were to have a family. We learn how a single note is alone in the world and would be nothing without the harmonies of other notes to form chords in music. The family the youth could have would, therefore, make him more than he alone could be by accompanying his single note in a life compared to music.
Sonnet Eight – Music To Hear, Why Hear’st Thou Music Sadly?
Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly? Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy: Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly, Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy? If the true concord of well-tuned sounds, By unions married, do offend thine ear, They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear. Mark how one string, sweet husband to another, Strikes each in each by mutual ordering; Resembling sire and child and happy mother, Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing: Whose speechless song being many, seeming one, Sings this to thee: 'Thou single wilt prove none.'