Sonnet 44
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
separation
elements
physicality
longing
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
Injurious distance should not stop my way;
For then despite of space I would be brought,
From limits far remote where thou dost stay.
No matter then although my foot did stand
Upon the farthest earth removed from thee;
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land
As soon as think the place where he would be.
But ah! thought kills me that I am not thought,
To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,
But that so much of earth and water wrought
I must attend time's leisure with my moan,
Receiving nought by elements so slow
But heavy tears, badges of either's woe.
What It Means
If Shakespeare were made of thought instead of earth and water, he could be with the young man instantly. But he is physical, slow, and bound by distance. The elements he lacks are fire and air — the quick, light ones. He is made of dull, heavy earth and water. The complaint is against embodiment itself: being a physical person means being subject to geography.
Context
Part of the Fair Youth sequence. Sonnets 44 and 45 form a pair around the classical four elements — earth, water, fire, air.
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