Although this is a trite comment about the value of soundlessness, it often rings true. However, silence can also be used as a weapon to inflict heavy amounts of emotional damage. Supposing a wife cheated on her husband and decided to keep silent about the whole event, but the husband found out about the affair through a good friend of his, what then? The husband, if he is more of the timid persuasion, will most likely keep silent about it, in hopes that his wife will approach him and confess. If this never happens though, a heavy burden is laid on the couple"s hearts. The same case is found in "Sonnet 139" by William Shakespeare. The poet, in a silent plea to the infamous Dark Lady, asks that the silence be lifted and the truth be uncovered.

             The poem uses iambic pentameter and alternating rhyme to pattern itself, the only exception being the last two verses which combine to form a heroic couplet. The poet places the accents on the words that express pain, which gives the sonnet a feeling of struggle and heartbreak. The poem is centered on the heart of the poet, who is most likely Shakespeare himself, and the feelings surrounding his psyche. Essentially, the poem is written in such a way that one might believe that Shakespeare is actually addressing the Dark Lady. In actuality, the poem takes place inside of the poet"s head. Through his words, the reader realizes that the poet has been reduced to a vexatious, and emotionally distressed being due to the actions of the Dark Lady. Shakespeare makes it evident throughout the poem that it is not the act that bothers him so much, but rather, the way in which she tries to conceal the truth from him. He figures that since she is already killing him slowly, she might as well just confess and finish him off.

             The poem opens with the line, "O! call not me to justify the wrong/ That thy unkindness lays upon my heart.