The Sonnets and Other Poems (59 page)
Read The Sonnets and Other Poems Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
50
fluxive
flowing
51
gave to tear
went to tear up
53
unapprovèd
false
54
Ink … here!
i.e. black ink would have been more appropriate as a color for the damnably false sentiments in the letter
55
in top of
at the height of
rents
tears
56
Big … contents
her great rage destroying their contents
57
reverend
respectable, aged
nigh
nearby
58
Sometime
formerly
blusterer
swaggerer
ruffle
bustle
59
let … flew
had let his youth fly by, but had learned lessons from it
61
afflicted fancy
distressed imagination, i.e. the woman
fastly
closely/rapidly
62
desires
asks
64
slides … bat
he lowers himself with the help of his worn staff
65
comely-distant
at a seemly distance
67
divide
share
68
aught
anything
69
ecstasy
frenzy
71
Father
respectful form of address for an old man
72
blasting
withering
75
spreading
unfolding
78
attended
listened to
79
suit
request/courtship
grace
favor
80
outwards
externals, physical appearance
81
stuck over all
were glued to
82
Love
the goddess of love, Venus
85
crooked
twisted (plays on the sense of “deceptive”)
86
light occasion
slight opportunity
87
their … hurls
tosses individual curls
88
to … find
will readily find a doer
90
little
miniature
91
sawn
seen
93
phoenix down
incomparably soft hair
94
unshorn
uncut
termless
indescribable/youthful
95
bare … wear
bare skin was even more beautiful than the downy covering
96
cost
adornment/expense
dear
delightful/expensive
97
nice affections
discriminating tastes
100
maiden-tongued
softly spoken/modest in speech
free
innocent/eloquent
101
moved
provoked
105
livery
dress up
pride
show
104
His … truth
his roughness, licensed by his youth, dressed up his false nature in a fine show of truth
107
mettle
temperament, spirit
108
sway
rider’s control
109
rounds
turns (like the other actions described, part of a series of training exercises)
bounds
leaps
course
a gallop
stop
sudden check in the midst of a gallop
110
controversy
debate, discussion
111
Whether … deed
whether the horse performed so handsomely on account of his rider, or vice versa
112
he
the rider
manage
training and handling of the horse
114
real habitude
regal disposition
115
appertainings
external embellishments
116
case
external circumstances/clothing
117
aids
accessories, trappings
118
Came for additions
functioned as ornaments
purposed trim
intended adornment
119
Pieced not
did not add to
120
subduing
controlling
122
replication
reply
123
still … sleep
were always at his disposal
125
dialect
way of speaking
different
versatile, adaptable
126
Catching … will
capturing all human emotions with skillful ease/ensnaring everyone’s passions according to the cunning of his own (sexual) desires
127
That
so that
130
haunted
frequented
131
Consents … obey
everyone so enchanted by him that they agreed to his wishes before he voiced them, having already imagined what he would say and made up their minds to obey (with suggestion of sexual compliance)
135
in … mind
invest it with their imaginations, become obsessed with it
137
objects
sights
abroad
out and about
138
theirs … assigned
imagining that they own them
assigned
legally transferred
139
labouring … them
taking more pleasure in the task of giving them away than their real gout-ridden owner
142
them
themselves to be
144
my own fee-simple
in absolute possession of myself (
fee-simple
is a legal term for the unconditional ownership of property)
part
part ownership
146
charmèd
bewitching
147
flower
bloom, beauty/virginity
149
Demand … yielded
make demands upon him or immediately agree to sex as soon as he wanted it
152
bulwarks
defenses, fortifications
153
proofs new-bleeding
recent evidence of his actions, i.e. bleeding hearts
foil
setting
154
spoil
plunder, that which is (sexually) spoiled
155
precedent
what has gone before
156
assay
attempt, try by experience
157
forced … way
to hinder her own inclination, urged examples of the dangers others have faced in the past
159
stop awhile
delay
stay
be prevented
160
rage
are in a state of high emotion (including sexual desire)
161
wits
active mind (may play on the sense of “genitals”)
keen
sharp, eager
162
blood
sexual desire
163
proof
evidence, experience
164
forbod
forbidden
sweets
sexual pleasures
165
in our behoof
on our behalf, for our benefit
170
knew
I knew
beguiling
deceit
171
plants
i.e. illegitimate children
orchards
i.e. wombs/families (the mother having been already married)
173
brokers
agents, pimps
defiling
sexual defilement, corrupting chastity
174
characters and words
the written and spoken word (i.e. declarations of love)
art
artifice, craft
175
adulterate
adulterous
180
That’s
that which is
183
abroad
out in the world
185
With … kind
such actions may be so where neither party is faithful or in love
187
They … find
i.e. they brought their ruin upon themselves
188
And … contains
i.e. and the more they reproach me the less I am to blame
192
teen
suffering, sorrow
193
leisures
periods of leisure
195
liveries
servants’ uniforms
197
wounded fancies
afflicted loves, i.e. abandoned lovers
198
pallid
pale
199
Figuring
symbolizing
202
Effects
manifestations
204
talents
tokens/treasures
205
twisted
intricately wrought
impleached
entwined
206
several fair
different beautiful woman
207
Their kind acceptance
my gracious acceptance of such tokens
208
th’annexions
the additions
209
deep-brained
profound, ingeniously devised
210
dear
loving/expensive
212
invised
invisible
213
in … regard
in contemplating the freshness of which
215
heaven-hued
sky blue
blend
dazzle/combine/blended (applies to
opal
, a gem that contains many colors)
216
objects manifold
many other sights/along with many other gems
several
separate
217
blazoned
described (in the
sonnets
)
smiled … moan
i.e. symbolized joy or grief
218
hot
ardent/lustful
219
pensived
saddened
tender
offering
223
force
necessity
oblations
offerings (often religious)
224
I … me
I am the altar on which they were offered and you are my patron saint
225
phraseless
indescribable
227
similes
poetic comparisons/the symbolic gems
228
Hallowed
consecrated, made holy
raise
breathe out
229
What … obeys
whatever obeys me, your servant or priest, also obeys you
230
audit
accounting
231
distract parcels
separate parts
232
Lo
look
device
love token
233
note
reputation
234
late
recently (before becoming a nun)
her … court
the noble courtiers who wooed her
235
rarest havings
splendid qualities/precious belongings