The Sonnets and Other Poems (58 page)
Read The Sonnets and Other Poems Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
12
without
on the outside, in terms of appearance
13
feed on death
i.e. be nourished spiritually
1
still
continually
2
nurseth
sustains, nurtures
3
ill
sickness
4
Th’uncertain
the unreliable, changeable
appetite
includes sexual appetite
7
approve
am proof of/discover by experience
8
Desire is death
sexual desire is fatal (perhaps with connotations of orgasmic “death”)
which … except
which desire medicine forbade
9
past care
i.e. past caring
10
evermore
continual
12
At … truth
wandering haphazardly from the truth
vainly
pointlessly, ineffectually
13
fair
beautiful/fair-complexioned/virtuous
14
black
ugly/dark-complexioned/sinful
1
love
perhaps recalls the fact that Cupid, the Roman god of love, was conventionally depicted as blind
4
censures falsely
judges wrongly (not necessarily in a negative manner)
8
Love’s eye
again recalls Cupid and puns on “ay” (“yes”)
10
vexed
troubled
watching
remaining awake
11
though
if
mistake my view
misunderstand what I see
14
foul faults
ugly defects, loathsome sins (perhaps also suggests “diseased vagina”)
2
partake
take sides
3
forgot Am of
am forgotten by
4
tyrant
cruel (to myself)
7
lour’st
scowl, frown
spend
may play on the sense of “ejaculate”
8
present moan
immediate lamenting (with possible connotations of erotic groaning)
9
respect
value, esteem
10
so … despise
too proud to serve you
11
all … defect
all that is best in me adores your imperfection
14
Those … lov’st
you love those who can see
2
insufficiency
imperfection
sway
rule
3
give … to
call a liar
4
brightness … day
i.e. because the poet’s mistress is dark, light ceases to be an attractive quality
5
becoming … ill
power to make vile things attractive
6
refuse … deeds
worst of your actions/worthless rubbish that your deeds consist of
7
warrantize
evidence, proof
11
abhor
hate; puns on the sense of “make a whore of”
1
Love … young
Cupid, the Roman god of love, was always depicted as a child
2
conscience
moral sense; puns on “con-science,” i.e. “cunt knowledge”
3
urge … amiss
do not accuse me of (or lead me into) wrongdoing
5
betraying me
revealing my sins/leading me treacherously into sin
6
nobler part
i.e. the soul
to … treason
to be treacherously overcome by my gross body
gross
coarse/earthly (not spiritual)
8
flesh … reason
the penis doesn’t wait for more justification
9
rising
becoming erect
10
triumphant prize
spoils of victory
pride
state of sexual arousal, erection
11
drudge
(sex) slave
12
stand … fall
fight and die by your side like a loyal soldier/grow erect in your vagina and then flaccid after sex
13
want
lack
hold
consider
1
forsworn
perjured, an oath-breaker
2
to … swearing
in swearing love to me
3
act
the sexual act
bed-vow
marriage vow
4
new … bearing
i.e. you tear up a new contract of love (to me) by saying that you hate me (or “ … by saying that you hate me now that you have yet another lover”—if this is the sense then
bearing
suggests bearing the weight of the new lover’s body during sex)
7
misuse
mistreat/slander/deceive/exploit sexually
9
of … kindness
about your profound generosity (also suggests an accommodating vagina)
11
enlighten
illuminate, make fairer
13
eye
puns on “I”
14
foul
loathsome/sinful/dirty, dark
1
Cupid
Roman god of love, often depicted carrying a
brand
or flaming torch with which to inflame passion
2
Dian
i.e. Diana, Roman goddess of chastity
3
steep
dip
4
of that ground
nearby
6
dateless
eternal
still to endure
lasting forever
7
grew
became
prove
find
8
strange
unfamiliar/foreign (perhaps syphilis, variously thought to have come from Italy, France, or the New World; steam baths were a form of treatment)
sovereign
excellent/healing
9
new-fired
rekindled
10
boy
i.e. Cupid
for trial
to test (it)
needs would
had to
touch my breast
i.e. inflame my heart
11
withal
with it
help of bath
steam baths used in treating syphilis
12
hied
hurried
distempered
diseased
1
little Love-god
i.e. Cupid; this sonnet tells the same tale as Sonnet 153
2
heart-inflaming brand
flaming torch used to kindle love
5
votary
devotee
7
general
i.e. Cupid, commander of
hot desire
12
men diseased
i.e. with syphilis, for which steam baths were a treatment
thrall
slave
FINIS
the end
10
this
i.e. this sonnet/
Time’s pencil
2
edge
edge of a blade/sharpness of (sexual)
appetite
7
full star
bright star, i.e. the planet Venus (known as Hesperus, the
Even
ing Star)
my name
still
playing on Will/sexual desire
272
pangs
may suggest the pains of childbirth (an image that would then be reinforced with a quibble on
bears
)
1
concave womb
i.e. hollow or cave
reworded
echoed
2
plaintful
grievous, lamenting
sist’ring
neighboring, sister
vale
dale, valley/place of trouble or sorrow
3
t’attend
to listen to
accorded
inclined
4
list
listen to
5
Ere
before
fickle
fitful, agitated/capricious, changeable
full
extremely
6
papers
i.e. love letters
atwain
in two
8
plaited … straw
woven straw hat (shaped like a beehive)
10
thought
imagination
11
carcass
corpse, ruin
spent and done
consumed and exhausted
13
all quit
completely gone
fell
fierce, cruel
14
lattice
suggesting a crisscross of lines on the face
seared
dried up
15
heave
lift
napkin
handkerchief
eyne
eyes
16
conceited characters
ingeniously embroidered images
17
Laund’ring
washing
silken figures
i.e. the embroidery of silk
brine
salt water
18
seasoned
matured with time/salted
pelleted
formed into small rounded drops
20
undistinguished
indistinguishable, inarticulate
21
size
volume, magnitude
22
levelled
aimed (like a cannon)
carriage
wheeled support for a cannon
23
As
as if
batt’ry
bombardment
spheres
i.e. heavens; planets and stars were thought to be contained within concentric hollow spheres
24
balls
eyeballs/cannonballs
25
th’orbèd
the round
26
right on
straight ahead
anon
immediately
lend … once
go everywhere
28
commixed
mingled, confused
29
nor loose nor
neither loose nor
31
sheaved
straw
32
pinèd
wasted
33
threaden fillet
ribbon binding her hair
bide
remain
36
favours
love tokens
maund
wicker basket
39
margent
margin, edge
set
seated
40
usury
receiving interest on a loan (i.e. her tears add to the water already in the river)
41
monarch’s … all
like a monarch who refuses charity to the needy but amply rewards the wealthy
43
schedules
notes, letters
44
flood
river
45
ring … bone
rings of gold and ivory engraved with love mottoes
46
sepulchres
graves
48
sleided
separated into strands
feat
elegantly
affectedly
lovingly
49
Enswathed
wrapped up
curious
careful