Sorry for the delay. Things have been a bit crazy here, but they should be calming down now that I have some of my applications in. Don't have time for anything too substantial, but just wanted to get out a few thoughts.

I think it's pretty cool how shakespeare begins by employing the word "glass" rather literally as something you can see your own face in, and then further in the poem he pushes the word further, transforming it into that which allows his mother to turn back time and continue to see her beauty in the world. I do think the command is a call towards self love, because I think Shakespeare views self love is the raw material that can be transformed into love of the material world. There continues to be a real affirmation of the image. I think Shakespeare affirms the image, but calls on us to deepen our engagement with it. He kinda seems like he's saying, "look in a mirror. wow, you thought i meant that literally? yikes. look how much more profoundly your mom understands reflection. maybe you should work on that..." i think the riff on mirrors and windows is calling attention on the claustrophobia that occurs when the image is cut off from some transcendent meaning-giver.

it's taking a huge amount of restraint to not mention something about "through a glass darkly," but i'll bite my tongue for now. it's a beautiful, cool night here in downtown carrboro and i'm being called away from engaging with a screen.