The New Criticism school of literary analysis that calls for finding meaning in the content of what is written and not in what was intended or the affect it has on the audience or allusions it makes to other worldly things.  For New Critics it’s not the thought that counts but the action itself, and in literature this action manifests itself in the language of a written piece.  A complete and comprehensive interpretation of the all the elements and characteristics of the language used is where meaning exists for the New Critics.  In line with this way of thinking, an examination of the possible definitions of the words used in Shakespeare’s 154th sonnet in conjunction with the dramatic scenario therein can reveal that this poem states that love is innocent and uncontrollable and that though love can cause great pain, nothing deters love.

The three most crucial elements of the dramatic scenario seem to be the nymph preparing the well warmed by Cupid’s brand, the speaker going to the well, and the speaker’s assertion in the final line.  These three main events are perhaps best analyzed in the order in which they occur chronologically in the poem.

The Purity of the Nymph

While it may at first seem puzzling as to why the nymph prepares the well as she does, the words used in the poem shed much light upon the nature of this nymph and her actions.  The nymph in question is one of a group of “many nymphs that vowed chaste life to keep” (”154″ Line 3).  Her vow of keeping a chaste life combined with statements about her such “her maiden hand,” “The fairest votary,” and “a virgin hand” all point to this figure being innocent and pure (Lines 4,5,8).  The word “maiden” denotes a young and unmarried girl and can also refer to a virgin (”Maiden”). This would mean that she is twice referenced to as a virgin, and the term virgin connotes the idea of an innocent and pure-hearted girl.  Since she is also called the “fairest votary,” votary being one who has taken a vow, the speaker is also calling her the most beautiful of the nymphs, as the word “fair” denotes a comment on the positive beauty of something, and this beauty could well arise from her inner piety showing through as it is often thought that females possessing pure and untainted hearts will have a natural beauty that shows through (”Votary”).  The term “fair” also denotes a sense of being unbiased, which again leads back to the idea of a pure and innocent heart since this type of heart lends itself best to being unbiased (”Fair”).  From these word choices it becomes clear that the speaker believes that the nymph who took Cupid’s brand is pure and innocent.