2. Sonnet Line 1
“Cupid laid by his brand; and fell asleep.”
In this line, brand means torch. Cupid put his torch
down and fell asleep. This was dangerous because
Cupid was leaving his torch unsupervised and
anyone could easily attempt to steal it away
because he was sleeping.
3. Sonnet Line 2
“A maid of Dian's this advantage found.”
When Cupid fell asleep near his torch, one of Dian’s
maids took this to her advantage and tried to do
something sneaky. She tried to steal the torch
because Cupid was sleeping and she was hoping
that he wouldn’t notice.
4. Sonnet Lines 3,4 and,5.
“And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep,
In a cold valley-fountain of that ground.”
Dian’s maid took Cupid’s torch and plunged it into a
small river nearby. The flame of the torch did not go out
when she threw it in the river, it still continued to burn.
5. Lines 6,7, and 8
“A dateless lively heat, still to endure,
And grew a seething bath, which yet men prove
Against strange maladies a sovereign cure.”
When the torch’s flame didn’t go out when Dian’s
maid threw it in the river, she started to panic. The
flame was still burning causing a huge heat flame
all over. The torch in the river began creating a bath
that would be used to cure men’s diseases.
6. Lines 9, 10, and 11
“But at my mistress’s eye Love’s brand new fired,
The boy for trial needs would touch my breast;
I, sick withal, the help of bath desired.”
Shakespeare became worried and frantic when Cupid
would not use the water from the mistress’ eye on him.
7. Lines 12,13, and 14
“And thither hied, a sad distempered guest,
But found no cure, the bath for my help lies
Where Cupid got new fire; my mistress’ eyes.”
Cupid’s torch’s fire comes from the mistresses eye and
Shakespeare felt depressed and in need of a glance of
the mistress’ eye, but couldn’t receive one. He tried the
disease curing bath but still the only thing that would work
is a look from the mistress; eye.
