The Sonnets and Other Poems (42 page)

⁷⁶⁶Black stage
possibly refers to an Elizabethan practice of draping the stage with black for the performance of a tragedy, although the evidence for this is fairly slight

fell
savage, cruel

⁷⁶⁷chaos
the formless void from which the ordered universe emerged

blame
blameworthiness, guilt

⁷⁶⁸defame
dishonor

⁷⁷⁰close-tongued
secretive/silent

⁷⁷³Muster
assemble for war

⁷⁷⁴proportioned … time
i.e. the regular passing of day and night (so that night may be prolonged to conceal shame)

⁷⁷⁶wonted
usual, customary

⁷⁷⁷Knit
draw closely together

⁷⁷⁸damps
fogs, mists

ravish
carry off by force (the word could also, of course, mean “rape”)

⁷⁸⁰life
life-giving properties

⁷⁸¹arrive
arrive at

noontide prick
the dot of noon (marked on a sundial)

⁷⁸⁶silver-shining queen
i.e. the moon, symbol of chastity

distain
defile, dishonor/cause to look dim

⁷⁸⁷handmaids
i.e. the stars

⁷⁹¹palmers
pilgrims who had been to the Holy Land, signified by the carrying of a palm leaf

⁷⁹³cross their arms
a conventional posture of grief

⁷⁹⁵pine
suffer

⁷⁹⁸wasting … moans
transitory memorials to permanent grief

⁷⁹⁹foul-reeking
“reeking” meant “steaming, smoking” in the period; sense of “smelling” was not yet active

⁸⁰⁵sepulchred
entombed

⁸⁰⁶object
a sight, spectacle

⁸¹¹cipher
read, decipher

⁸¹²quote
observe, notice

my loathsome trespass
the vile shame done to me, the abhorrent breach of my person

⁸¹⁵deck
adorn

⁸¹⁶couple
link (plays on sense of “unite sexually”)

⁸¹⁷Feast-finding minstrels
musicians looking for feasts at which to play and sing

tuning my defame
making a song about my dishonor

⁸¹⁸tie
oblige

⁸¹⁹I Collatine
i.e. how I wronged Collatine

⁸²⁰senseless reputation
reputation for lacking sensuality

⁸²²theme for disputation
subject of debate

⁸²³branches … root
i.e. Collatine’s family tree will be destroyed (
branches
plays on sense of “divisions of an argument”)

⁸²⁵clear
innocent

attaint
stain of dishonor

⁸²⁸Crest-wounding
damaging the family crest (may also suggest the pain of cuckoldry: the husband of an unfaithful wife was supposed to grow horns on his head)

⁸³⁰mot
motto

⁸³⁵bereft
stolen

⁸³⁶drone-like
the male honeybee is a nonworker whose function is to impregnate the queen bee

⁸³⁷perfection
i.e. honey

⁸³⁸injurious
damaging

⁸⁴¹wrack
wreck, overthrow

⁸⁴²entertain him
receive him as a guest (Lucrece unwittingly plays on sense of “have sex with him”)

⁸⁴³put him back
refuse to receive him

⁸⁴⁴disdain
treat with contempt

⁸⁴⁸worm
cankerworm, a parasitic grub that destroys plants (here symbolic of the penis)

⁸⁴⁹cuckoos
birds that lay their eggs in other birds’ nests

⁸⁵⁰founts
fountains

venom
toads were thought to be poisonous

⁸⁵¹folly
lust

gentle
noble/benign

⁸⁵²behests
vows/commands

⁸⁵⁵coffers up
hoards in a chest

⁸⁵⁸still-pining
constantly tormented/always yearning/forever starving

Tantalus
in Greek mythology, a king who stole from the gods and was condemned to stand in a pool below a fruit tree that remained just out of his reach

⁸⁵⁹barns
puts in a barn

⁸⁶⁴presently
immediately

⁸⁷⁴ill-annexèd Opportunity
circumstances (
opportunity
) that lend themselves to evil

⁸⁷⁵Or … or
either … or

quality
special character/excellence

⁸⁷⁷execut’st
carries out

⁸⁷⁸sets
places

⁸⁷⁹point’st
decides, appoints

season
time, occasion

⁸⁸⁰spurn’st
aims a kick at, rejects

⁸⁸¹cell
small dwelling

⁸⁸³vestal
virgin

⁸⁸⁴temperance
moderation, self-restraint

⁸⁸⁵honesty
integrity/ chastity

troth
loyalty, honesty, good faith

⁸⁸⁷laud
praise

⁸⁸⁹gall
bitterness/poison

⁸⁹²smoothing
flattering

ragged name
damaged or worthless reputation

⁸⁹³wormwood
a plant known for its bitter taste

⁸⁹⁴vanities
empty, worthless delights

⁸⁹⁷suppliant’s
petitioner’s

⁸⁹⁹sort
choose

⁹⁰¹physic
medicine

⁹⁰²halt
limp

⁹⁰⁵pines
starves

⁹⁰⁷Advice
medical counsel

sporting
at play

⁹¹⁰as their pages
like their personal servants

⁹¹²crosses
obstacles

⁹¹⁴gratis
freely

apaid
rewarded

⁹¹⁶else
otherwise

⁹¹⁷stayed
prevented

⁹¹⁹subornation
inducing a person to commit an evil action

⁹²⁰shift
trickery, subterfuge

⁹²²inclination
nature, disposition

⁹²⁴general doom
the end of the world, Judgment Day

⁹²⁵copesmate
partner, accomplice/sexual partner

⁹²⁶post
messenger

carrier
bearer, messenger

⁹²⁸watch of woes
watchman who brings bad news

packhorse
horse used to carry heavy burdens

⁹³¹since of
since you are guilty of

⁹³⁵date
period, duration

⁹³⁶office
duty

fine
finish/penalize, punish

⁹³⁷opinion
report, rumor

⁹³⁹contending
fighting, antagonistic

⁹⁴²sentinel
stand guard over

⁹⁴⁴ruinate
bring to ruin

⁹⁴⁹quills
large feathers

⁹⁵⁰springs
new growth, shoots

⁹⁵²Fortune’s wheel
the Roman goddess Fortuna was conventionally depicted turning a wheel, which raised men up before casting them down

⁹⁵³beldame
grandmother/old woman

⁹⁵⁴man a child
old and weak, as in second childhood/allow the man to father a child

⁹⁵⁷the subtle
crafty people

in themselves beguiled
self-deluded/foiled by their own guile

⁹⁵⁸increaseful
productive, fruitful

⁹⁵⁹waste
erode, destroy

⁹⁶⁰mischief
wickedness

⁹⁶²retiring
returning

⁹⁶⁴Lending … lends
i.e. giving a poor decision-maker the wisdom of hindsight

⁹⁶⁷ceaseless lackey
constant servant (specifically, a footman who ran beside his master’s carriage;
lackey
has connotations of obsequiousness)

⁹⁶⁸cross
thwart, obstruct

⁹⁷¹ghastly
frightening/ghostly

lewd
wicked, unprincipled

⁹⁷⁴trances
states between sleep and waking/states of extreme dread

⁹⁷⁶bechance
befall

⁹⁸⁵orts
scraps, leftovers

⁹⁸⁶one … live
i.e. a beggar, dependent on charity

⁹⁸⁷Disdain … give
disdain to give him even the scraps from his own meal of leftovers

disdainèd
already scorned, despised

⁹⁸⁹to … resort
gather to mock him

⁹⁹²sport
entertainment/pleasure/sex

⁹⁹³unrecalling
irrevocable, that cannot be called back