Sonnet 61 by Michael Drayton: Summary, Analysis & Themes

Sonnet 61 by Michael Drayton: Summary, Analysis & Themes
"Sonnet 61" by Michael Drayton is a poignant reflection on the end of a romantic relationship, blending resignation with a faint glimmer of hope. Drayton, a prominent poet of the Elizabethan era, captures the emotional complexities of parting with a lover. The sonnet uses vivid imagery and structured form to convey the tension between letting go and the lingering possibility of rekindling love. It is celebrated for its dramatic opening, introspective tone, and eloquent portrayal of love’s fragile endurance. Sonnet 61 Since there’s no help, come let us kiss and part. Nay, I have done, you get no more of me; And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart, That thus so cleanly I myself can free. Shake hands for ever, cancel all our vows, And when we meet at any time again, Be it not seen in either of our brows That we one jot of former love retain. Now at the last gasp of Love’s latest breath, When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies; When Faith is kneeling by his bed of de…