The Sonnets and Other Poems (32 page)
Read The Sonnets and Other Poems Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
crest
feathers on the top of a helmet
105
sport … dally
all terms that can also signify “have sex”
107
churlish
harsh, because it signifies war;
red
suggests blood and anger, but in line 110 the color signifies passion
ensign
battle flag
108
arms
plays on sense of “weapons”
field
battlefield
109
overswayed
ruled, exercised power over
111
Strong-tempered
made strong by tempering (heating steel and then immersing it in cold water)
his … obeyed
submitted to his superior strength
114
foiled
defeated
119
there … lies
i.e. reflected in the pupils of her eyes
121
wink
close your eyes
123
keeps his revels
holds his festivities/has sex (the erotic sense continues in
play
and
sport
)
but twain
only two
124
bold
courageous/sexually immodest
in sight
observed
125
blue-veined
suggestive of closed eyes (and perhaps with connotations of the erect penis)
127
tender spring
youthful growth (of stubble)
133
hard-favoured
harsh-featured
foul
ugly
134
Ill-nurtured
coarse, ill-bred
crooked
deformed
135
O’erworn
worn out by age or work
rheumatic
afflicted by catarrh or by the watering eyes of old age
cold
afflicted by a cold/dispirited/sexually passionless
136
Thick-sighted
poor-sighted
juice
vigor/vaginal moisture
140
grey
regarded as a particularly beautiful eye color
142
marrow
vitality/sexual essence
146
trip
dance lightly
147
nymph
female spirit who lived in the sea
148
footing
footprint
149
spirit
may play on sense of “penis”
compact
composed
150
gross
heavy, earthy
light
may play on sense of “unchaste, lustful”
aspire
rise/be ambitious/grow erect
152
forceless
powerless
154
list
please, choose
155
light
unimportant/weightless/ unchaste
156
heavy
serious/troublesome/weighty
157
affected
in love
158
upon thy left
i.e. by grasping your left hand
160
on
of
161
Narcissus
in Greek mythology, a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool; in some versions of the tale he drowned attempting to embrace himself
himself himself forsook
abandoned himself (for himself)
162
shadow
reflection
164
Dainties
delicacies, sweetmeats
the use
enjoyment/sex
165
sappy
sap-filled
bear
bear fruit
168
get
beget, reproduce
169
increase
produce
172
That thine
so that your offspring
175
this
this time, now
177
Titan
another name for the Greek sun god
tirèd
weary/dressed, attired
178
burning … hotly
i.e. hotly/lasciviously
179
his team
i.e. Titan’s team of horses that drew the sun’s chariot
180
So … him
provided that Titan could be like Adonis
181
lazy sprite
sluggish spirit
182
disliking
disapproving, reluctant
183
fair sight
beautiful eyes/handsome appearance
184
vapours
clouds or noxious fogs rising from the ground
185
Souring
contracting, pursing
188
bare
poor, unconvincing
197
done
ended
198
heavenly … sun
the sun in the sky and Adonis himself
202
want
lack/desire
203
thy mother
Adonis was the incestuous product of his mother Myrrha’s love for her own father
204
unkind
cruel/unnatural
205
contemn
disdain, scorn
this
thus
206
suit
request/courtship
213
Statue
Adonis was a descendant of Pygmalion and the statue he had made, fallen in love with, and married after she had been brought to life by Aphrodite/ Venus
215
complexion
appearance
216
by … direction
of their own accord
219
blaze forth
proclaim/burn forth
220
Being … cause
i.e. even though she is the goddess of love and supreme judge of amorous affairs, she cannot determine matters in her own favor
221
fain
willingly
222
intendments
intentions
226
would
wants to (bind him)
228
locks … one
intertwines her fingers (so that he cannot escape her embrace)
229
Fondling
foolish one/one who is doted upon
230
ivory pale
i.e. fair-skinned arms encircling him (a
pale
is a fence; plays on sense of “white”)
231
park
enclosed tract of land reserved for keeping and hunting game
deer
puns on “dear”
232
mountain … dale
i.e. breasts and vagina (replete with pleasure-giving
fountains
)
235
limit
area defined by a boundary
relief
feeding, pasturing (hunting term)/sexual ease
236
bottom-grass
lush grass growing at the base of the valley/pubic hair (bottom signifies “lower regions,” not “buttocks/anus,” a sense not then in use)
plain
i.e. stomach (possibly pubic mound)
237
hillocks
i.e. buttocks (possibly breasts)
brakes
thickets, i.e. pubic hair
obscure
hidden, secret/dark
240
rouse
cause to issue forth from cover (hunting term); Adonis will instead be “roused” sexually by Venus
243
if
so that if he
247
caves … pits
i.e. dimples
249
wits
sanity
250
Struck … first
having already been smitten by love
251
in … forlorn
helpless and wretched under your own rules/unable to control your own area of authority
257
remorse
pity, compassion
259
neighbours by
is nearby
260
breeding
in heat
jennet
small Spanish horse
lusty
lively/lustful
proud
spirited/sexually aroused
261
trampling courser
stallion stamping on the ground
264
straight
directly/immediately
266
girths
straps that hold the saddle in place
267
bearing
carrying his weight/enduring his injuries/fertile
272
compassed crest
arched ridge of the neck
275
glisters
sparkles, glitters
276
courage
disposition/sexual desire
277
told
counted
278
gentle
noble/calm
279
Anon
shortly
curvets
springs, frisks
280
As who should
like one who might
tried
proven
283
recketh he
cares he for
stir
fuss, agitation
284
flattering
coaxing, wheedling
Holla
stop (used to a horse)
285
curb
restraining strap passing under the horse’s jaw and fastened to the bit
286
caparisons
decorated saddle cloths
trappings gay
colorful ornamental coverings
290
limning out
painting
294
bone
frame
295
fetlocks
the tufts of hair growing on parts of horses’ ankle joints
shag
rough, shaggy
297
crest
ridge of the neck
passing
surpassingly, exceedingly
301
scuds
darts nimbly
303
bid … base
challenge the wind to a chase (from the children’s game in which two teams occupy separate bases and chase opponents trying to leave their
base
)
304
where
possibly a contraction of “whether”
306
who
which
310
puts … strangeness
makes a show of aloofness
unkind
cruel/ unaffectionate, not sexually interested
311
Spurns at
kicks out at/rejects
312
kind embracements
affectionate embraces (i.e. as the stallion mounts her for sex)
heels
mares often kick out as they’re mounted
314
vails
lowers in submission
tail
probably with phallic connotations
plume
feathers (here probably imagined in a military helmet)
316
fume
anger
319
testy
irritated
320
unbacked
unbroken/riderless
breeder
mare in heat
321
Jealous of catching
fearful of being caught
forsake
abandon
323
As
as if
wood
wordplay, since it could also mean “mad”
hie them
hasten
325
swoll’n with chafing
bursting with anger
326
Banning
cursing