Read The Sonnets and Other Poems Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
The Sonnets and Other Poems (37 page)
5
stand
defensive position
steep-up
steeply inclined
6
Anon
soon
7
silly
foolish/helpless
will
plays on sense of “sexual desire”
10
brakes
bushes (with connotations of “pubic hair”)
11
ruth
pity
13
more … one
i.e. her vagina, as well as the imaginary wound she showed him
3
orient pearl
lustrous, most precious (literally, from the Indian Ocean)
timely
prematurely
8
For why
because
1
Venus
Roman goddess of love, enamored of
Adonis
2
myrtle
evergreen shrub or small tree, sacred to Venus
3
youngling
youngster
Mars
Roman god of war
try her
test her resistance
fell
succumbed sexually
4
fell to
assailed, tried to seduce
6
clipped
embraced
7
unlaced
i.e. undressed (literally, unlaced the corset—worn by Elizabethan ladies)
8
like
similar
9
seizèd on
took possession of/fastened on
11
fetchèd
caught (her)
12
take
understand/possess sexually
pleasure
wish/sexual enjoyment
13
at this bay
holding me at bay (like a hunted animal that has been cornered and forced to turn on its pursuers)
14
clip
embrace
1
Crabbèd
bad-tempered
2
pleasance
pleasure, delight
care
troubles, anxiety
4
brave
finely dressed
5
sport
entertainments, activity, fun
11
hie thee
hurry
12
stays
delay
1
vain
conceited, self-regarding/empty, worthless/foolish
3
’gins
begins
4
presently
immediately
7
seld
seldom
12
physic
medicine
painting
use of cosmetics
pain
effort
3
daffed me
cast me off
cabin
hut, humble dwelling
hanged with care
decorated with sorrow
4
descant … decay
enlarge on fears for my death
6
Fare
go/eat
8
In … whether
whether in scorn or friendship I will not consider
12
As
such as, who
pluck the pelf
take the spoils, seize the riches
13
throw … east
i.e. look for the sunrise
14
charge the watch
commands wakefulness, orders me to be on the lookout
15
cite
summon
16
office
function
17
Philomela
the nightingale
mark
pay attention, take note
18
lays
songs
21
packed
dispatched, sent packing
post
hasten
24
For why
because
27
moon
month
28
Yet
if
30
Short
shorten
length
lengthen
Sonnets … Music
a separate title within
The Passionate Pilgrim
; may indicate that these poems were intended for singing
1
lording
lord
2
master
tutor
5
doubtful
of uncertain outcome
7
spite
vexation, source of grief
8
silly
foolish/helpless
9
mickle
great
10
nothing … gain
no means could be employed to enjoy both of them
11
wounded with disdain
rejected
13
art
scholarship
15
lullaby
good night
3
passing
surpassingly, exceedingly
4
wanton
playful/lascivious
5
leaves
petals (with labial suggestion)
7
That
so that
sick to death
made ill from longing (
death
possibly plays on sense of “orgasm”)
9
Air
plays on sense of “musical melody”
12
pluck … thorn
plays on sense of “take your virginity”
13
unmeet
unfitting, unsuitable
14
sweet
i.e. flower
15
Jove
supreme Roman god
16
Juno
Jove’s wife
Ethiope
Ethiopian (i.e. dark-complexioned, thought to be unattractive)
17
deny … Jove
deny that he was Jove
2
speed
flourish
3
defying
doubting
4
Heart’s denying
her refusal to love me (is the)
6
wot
knows
8
without remove
irremovably
9
silly
simple/foolish, trivial/deserving of pity
cross
mistake/misfortune
14
in thrall
enslaved
16
speeding
fortune
fraughted with gall
laden with bitterness
17
no deal
not at all
18
wether
castrated ram
knell
i.e. like a funeral bell
19
curtal
with a docked tail
wont
was accustomed
21
procures
manages
22
wise
manner
23
heartless ground
the desolate landscape
26
dye
color
29
swains
rustics
35
Corydon
in Virgil’s second
Eclogue
, the name of a shepherd abandoned by his lover
2
stalled
brought to a halt/confined
deer
puns on “dear”
strike
may play on sense of “have sex with”
3
things worthy blame
i.e. the blameworthy passions
4
fancy
love/infatuation
partial might
the power of (amorous) inclination
6
neither … unwed
not young and still unmarried (i.e. pick someone experienced)
8
filèd
polished
9
subtle practice
crafty ploy
10
find a halt
spot a limp, i.e. it takes one to know one
12
set … sale
list all her good points (as if you were a salesman)
14
spend
money on gifts/words of love
15
desert
merit, deserving
16
ringing
proclaiming itself/jingling coins
18
golden bullet
eloquence/money
21
unjust
unfaithful
22
Press
strive, be eager
23
slack
remiss (plays on the phallic sense of “flaccid, impotent”)
24
put thee back
refuse you
26
ere
before
28
dissembled
disguised
30
put away
rejected
32
ban
curse
brawl
shout
39
toys
whims, fancies
40
cock
plays on sense of “penis”
treads
has sex with (used of the male bird)
42
naught
plays on sense of “vagina”
43
Think … saint
believe it, women always strive to outdo men in sin rather than virtue
45
There
i.e. in women
46
attaint
spoil, make ugly
49
soft
hush
51
stick
hesitate
round
hit soundly
54
bewrayed
revealed, given away
2
prove
try out
8
madrigals
part-songs for several voices; often they had pastoral associations
11
kirtle
skirt
12
myrtle
evergreen shrub sacred to Venus, hence symbolic of love
17
LOVE’S ANSWER
this is the first stanza of “The Nymph’s Reply,” usually attributed to Sir Walter Ralegh
4
myrtles
evergreen shrubs or small trees
7
moan
lament, sadness
10
Leaned … thorn
in order to stay awake and sing of her sorrows all night, the nightingale supposedly rested her breast upon a sharp thorn (though the poem takes place in the
day
)
14
Tereu
Philomel was raped by her brother-in-law, Tereus, and then metamorphosed into a nightingale
15
complain
lament, express sorrow
17
lively
vividly
23
King Pandion
Philomel’s father
24
lapped in lead
buried in lead coffins
28
beguiled
deceived
35
crowns
gold coins
36
want
lack/need
37
prodigal
lavish, extravagant
40
‘Pity … king’
what a pity he is not a king
43
bent
inclined
44
at commandement
(women) at their disposal (
commandement
is tetrasyllabic, i.e. has four syllables metrically)
52
wake
cannot sleep
1
by Shakespeare, a version of Sonnet 138
2
by Shakespeare, a version of Sonnet 144
3
by Shakespeare, a version of Longaville’s sonnet to Maria in
Love’s Labour’s Lost
(Act 4 Scene 3)