Read The Sonnets and Other Poems Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
The Sonnets and Other Poems (33 page)
327
happy … fits
moment is opportune again
328
lovesick love
i.e. Venus
330
aidance
assistance
331
stopped
stopped up, closed
stayed
dammed up
333
So
likewise
334
vent
uttering
335
attorney
i.e. the tongue
336
client
i.e. heart
breaks
may play on sense of “goes bankrupt”
as
i.e. being
suit
lawsuit/courtship
339
bonnet
hat
341
nigh
near
342
all … eye
he watches her out of the corner of his
eye
/he watches her mistrustfully
343
wistly
intently
344
wayward
willful, obstinate
347
But
just
349
just before
right in front of
351
heaveth
lifts
354
apt
receptively
dint
impression
356
suing
pressing their case
357
as
as though
his
its
359
dumb play
theatrical dumb show, mime
made plain
explained
360
chorus-like
like characters commenting on the action of a play or dumb show
361
Full
very
362
prisoned
imprisoned
jail
Shakespeare’s spelling “gaile” may pun on “gale”
363
band
bond, shackle
364
engirts
surrounds
365
wilful
willing/persistent/ desirous
366
a-billing
caressing one beak with the other
367
engine
instrument, i.e. tongue
368
mover
one in motion, i.e. mortal
mortal round
earth
369
Would thou wert
I wish you were
370
wound
i.e. profoundly wounded heart
371
thy … thee
I would assure you of my help
372
bane
death, destruction
375
steel
harden (puns on “steal”)
376
grave
engrave, make an impression upon
377
regard
notice
381
bereft
deprived of
382
hence
go away
384
palfrey
horse for ordinary riding (as opposed to a warhorse)
387
Affection
passion, lust
388
suffered
permitted (to burn)
391
jade
worn-out horse
393
fee
due, reward
395
thong
leather strap, i.e. rein
bending crest
arched neck
396
Enfranchising
freeing
397
in … bed
naked in her bed
400
agents
parts (i.e. penis)
like
similar
401
faint
feeble, fainthearted
bold
daring/sexually immodest
404
of
from
405
on
of
presented
offered, available
406
Though
even if
yet
still, nevertheless
proceedings
behavior
408
made perfect
learned by heart
409
quoth
said
411
owe
i.e. take on the responsibility of the debt
412
My … it
the only desire I feel for love is the urge to discredit it
414
but … breath
in the same breath, at the same time
417
springing
sprouting, growing
diminished
weakened, deprived
419
backed and burdened
broken in and ridden
420
waxeth
grows
422
idle
worthless
bootless
pointless
424
alarms
calls to arms
ope
open
426
battery
assault by heavy bombardment
429
mermaid’s
i.e. Siren’s, a mythical creature, part woman, part bird, whose enchanting singing lured sailors to their death (also slang for “prostitute”)
430
pressed
(I am) oppressed, crushed
434
inward … invisible
inner, invisible beauty (i.e. his voice)
435
outward parts
physical appearance
move
stir/sexually arouse (picking up on the genital sense of
part
)
436
sensible
capable of feeling
443
stillatory
still (in which perfume is distilled)
face excelling
incomparably beautiful face
446
other four
i.e. senses
448
suspicion
wariness of evil
451
ruby-coloured portal
i.e. his lips
453
betokened Wrack
signified shipwreck
456
flaws
squalls of wind
457
presage
omen
advisedly
attentively, warily
marketh
observes, notes
459
grin
bare his teeth
462
ere
before
463
flatly
prostrate/without hesitation
465
recures
cures, heals
466
love
some editors emend to “loss”
thriveth
prospers
469
late intent
recent intention
471
cunning
skillful/crafty
wittily
ingeniously
472
Fair fall
may fair befall, good luck to (playing on Venus’ literal “fall”)
475
wrings
pinches
480
so … still
as long as he continues to kiss her (
still
may play on sense of “motionless”)
482
blue windows
blue-veined eyelids/eyes (though these were gray in line 140)
490
repine
discontent
494
drenched
immersed/drowned
495
Or
either
497
death’s annoy
i.e. as distressing as death
500
shrewd
severe, harsh
503
leaders
military captains (who serve the
queen
)/guides
504
But
were it not
piteous
merciful, compassionate
506
liveries
uniforms worn by a particular nobleman’s servants
wear
wear out
507
verdure
freshness/taste
509
star-gazers
astrologers
510
plague
in 1593, the year of the poem’s publication, the plague was particularly virulent in London
511
seals … imprinted
stamps that have left their authoritative impression in my lips, as if in wax
513
sell myself
connotations of prostitution
514
So
provided that
use good dealing
trade fairly/have good sex
515
slips
errors/counterfeit coins/sexual lapses
516
seal-manual
signature/personal seal on a ring
519
touches
kisses
520
told
counted
523
queen
may pun on “quean,” i.e. prostitute
owe
bear, have for
524
Measure … with
i.e. attribute my aloofness to
525
know
plays on sense of “have sex with”
526
fry
very young fish
forbears
spares
527
mellow
ripe
529
world’s comforter
i.e. sun
531
owl … shrieks
the owl was considered a bird of ill omen, its cry thought to herald death
532
fold
the pen, enclosure
538
tendered
paid (in settlement of a debt)
540
Incorp’rate
united in one body
541
disjoined
broke off
544
surfeit
drink to excess
on drouth
of drought
545
plenty
abundance (of desire/flesh/ kisses)
pressed
overwhelmed/pressed literally
dearth
famine
550
insulter
(victorious) attacker
551
vulture
i.e. ravenous desire, predatory imagination
pitch
fix, set (may play on one sense of the noun: “highest point to which a bird of prey soars before swooping on its victim”)
553
spoil
booty, goods acquired by plunder
554
forage
plunder, pillage/glut oneself like a wild beast
reek
smoke with heat
555
reek and smoke
sweat
556
careless
reckless
557
oblivion
generating heedlessness
558
wrack
destruction
561
roe
species of small deer
chasing
being hunted
562
froward
refractory, fretful
dandling
rocked or joggled up and down
564
listeth
desires
565
so
is so
temp’ring
heating
567
out of hope
(that seem) hopeless
compassed
achieved
vent’ring
taking risks
568
whose … commission
who has license to go further than his orders
570
choice
object of choice