Let me confess that we two must be twain,
Although our undivided loves are one:
So shall those blots that do with me remain,
Without thy help, by me be borne alone.
In our two loves there is but one respect,
Though in our lives a separable spite,
Which though it alter not love’s sole effect,
Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.
I may not evermore acknowledge thee,
Lest my bewailed guilt should do thee shame,
Nor thou with public kindness honour me,
Unless thou take that honour from thy name:
     But do not so, I love thee in such sort,
     As thou being mine, mine is thy good report.

Analysis

Sonnet 36 is a break-up! The two parties are still very much in love, but must part, and should try to avoid each other in public, lest things get awkward, but will always speak highly and kindly of one another.

Willy reveals that he and his love must be parted, even though they are still so in love as to be one. While their loves are joined, their lives remain separate, and while this doesn’t diminish the effect that their feelings have on them, it prevents them from being together as they would like. Will apologizes if he never speaks to his beloved again, and asks that he may receive the same treatment, because they would be transferring shame onto each other if they did. However, his love should not be afraid of any other shame, for Willy will always speak fondly of him in his absence.

Will’s Wordplay

“Without thy help, by me be borne alone” is suggestive of a pregnant girl being abandoned to bear her child without help and in utter misery. Willy, what did you do?

South Street Seaport, Manhattan

Smell that fish? The South Street Seaport is a historic area in Manhattan, centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District. The Seaport is a designated historic district, and is distinct from the neighboring Financial District.

It features some of the oldest architecture in downtown Manhattan, and includes the largest concentration of restored early 19th-century commercial buildings in the city. This includes renovated original mercantile buildings, renovated sailing ships, the former Fulton Fish Market, and modern tourist malls featuring food, shopping, and nightlife, with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The first pier in the area appeared in 1625, when the Dutch West India Company founded an outpost here. With the influx of the first settlers, the area was quickly developed. One of the first and busiest streets in the area was today’s Pearl Street, so named for a variety of coastal pearl shells. Due to its location, Pearl Street quickly gained popularity among traders.The East River was eventually narrowed. By the second half of the 17th century, the pier was extended to Water Street, then to Front Street, and by the beginning of the 19th century, to South Street. The pier was well reputed, as it was protected from westerly winds and ice of the Hudson River.

In 1728, the Schermerhorn Family established trade with the city of Charleston, South Carolina. Subsequently, rice and indigo came from Charleston. At the time, the port was also the focal point of delivery of goods from England. In 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, the British occupied the port, adversely affecting port trade for eight years. In 1783, many traders returned to England, and most port enterprises collapsed. The port quickly recovered from the post-war crisis. From 1797 until the middle of 19th century, New York had the country’s largest system of maritime trade. From 1815 to 1860 the port was called the Port of New York.

The South Street Seaport Museum was founded in 1967 by Peter and Norma Stanford. When originally opened as a museum, the focus of the Seaport Museum conservation was to be an educational historic site, with shops mostly operating as reproductions of working environments found during the Seaport’s heyday.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged the Seaport; tidal floods (seven feet deep in places) inundated much of the Seaport causing extensive damage that forced an end to plans to restore the Museum’s fortunes by merging it into the Museum of the City of New York. Many of the businesses closed, and the remaining businesses suffered from a severe drop in business after the storm. The South Street Seaport Museum re-opened in December 2012. The Howard Hughes Corporation, the Seaport’s owner, announced that it would tear down the Seaport’s most prominent shopping area, Pier 17, starting in the fall of 2013, and is replacing it with a new structure.

The Seaport itself operates primarily as a mall and tourism center, built on Pier 17 on the East River. Visitors may choose from among many shops and a food court. Decks outside allow views of the East River, Brooklyn Bridge, and Brooklyn Heights. At the entrance to the Seaport is the Titanic Memorial lighthouse.

The port has 6 ships docked here permanently or semi-permanently, four of which have historical status.

ACTOR – Andrea Schirmer

Andrea Schirmer is a New York based Film and TV actor.

Andrea has known she wanted to act since taking the stage in her 1st grade class play (she took on the challenging role as the “May Basket” in the original play “The Seasons”).

Today, Andrea studies at the Barrow Group. She has been recognized for her roles in various independent and awarding winning films. She can currently be seen on the TV shows “Momsters” and “The Perfect Murder”.

Andrea is thrilled to be part of the Sonnet Project.

FEATURING – Brent Dixon

Brent Dixon grew up in Tampa, Florida. He went to the University of Florida, where he studied Philosophy and was part of the Florida Players Theater Company. He then moved to New York City, following graduation, and joined the Flea Theater, where he was a company member. He loved working on the sonnet project and is excited to see its release.

DIRECTOR – Cristina Wolf

Cristina Wolf is freelance camera operator, camera assistant and avid film photographer working in New York City. In 2010, she relocated to London to obtain a maters degree in filmmaking from the London Film School. Prior to moving abroad, she has managed to work on myriad of projects from shooting documentaries in Central America, to shooting A-list talent in press junkets to working on narrative films, commercials and fashion shoots. In 2008, she also completed the cinematography certificate program at New York University. Prior to making the making the switch the camera department, Cristina freelanced as a studio photo assistant as well as worked as production coordinator and production manager for A&E Television Networks and for MTV News here in New York.