The Sonnets and Other Poems (60 page)
Read The Sonnets and Other Poems Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
blossoms
i.e. courtiers in the prime of life
dote
become infatuated
236
richest coat
highest birth (coat of arms)/finest clothing
237
cold
aloof/chaste
remove
withdraw
238
living
lifetime
eternal love
the love of God
239
what labour is’t
i.e. it is not very hard
240
not strives
offers no resistance
241
Paling
enclosing, fencing off
the place
i.e. the heart/the body (specifically, the vagina)
form
image, stamp, impression/lover’s body (specifically, penis)
242
Playing … gyves
pretending to be patient while in voluntary shackles
243
her … contrives
devises a reputation (for virtue) for herself
247
accident
event
249
cloister
convent
250
Religious love
i.e. devotion to me
251
Not … procured
previously she wished to be shut up from temptation, but now, in order to tempt everyone (or try everything), she has procured liberty
255
fountains
springs, sources suggestive of “baptism”
257
strong
victorious
258
for
due to
congest
bring together
259
compound
combined
physic
cure
260
parts
qualities/ physical features
262
they t’assail begun
my parts began to attack/her eyes began to assault her with images of me
263
consecrations
religious dedications
264
potential
powerful
265
sting
strength/harsh consequences
confine
boundary, limit
267
impressest
conscript into (military) service/stamp, make an impression
precepts
rules, injunctions
270
filial fear
a child’s fear of disobeying a parent
fame
reputation
271
are peace, gainst
i.e. subdue the antagonism of
bears
brings with it
273
aloes
bitterness
forces
acts of force
shocks
clashes of troops
275
bleeding groans
each sigh was thought to cost the heart a drop of blood
280
troth
good faith
278
Lending … troth
i.e. giving their support to my courtship of you and trusting the strong vow I make, an oath that shall advance and guarantee my faith
281
dismount
lower
284
brinish
salty
apace
swiftly
285
channel
i.e. cheek
286
Who
which (i.e. the stream)
gate
barrier
290
inundation
flood
291
wear
be worn down, erode
293
cleft
divided
wrath
ardor, passion
294
extincture
extinction
295
art of craft
skillful deceit
296
resolved
dissolved (plays on the sense of “determined”)
297
stole
robe/priest’s vestment
daffed
took off, threw aside
298
guards
defenses
civil fears
decorous scruples
302
subtle
crafty
303
cautels
tricks, crafty devices
all … receives
assumes a variety of different forms
305
takes … deceives
chooses between them, depending on which is better able to deceive
307
rank
coarse
309
level
aim, sights
311
Showing … tame
demonstrating that a good disposition is both kind and compliant (or possibly “([his aim being to] give the appearance of a kind and gentle nature”)
312
them
i.e. his various pretenses, feigned emotions (or possibly “kindness and gentleness”)
313
Against … exclaim
he would denounce what he really wanted
314
luxury
lust
316
merely
entirely/only
grace
virtue
318
th’unexperient
the inexperienced
319
Which
he who
cherubin
guardian angel
320
simple
inexperienced
lovered
provided with a lover
321
fell
succumbed sexually
322
such a sake
the sake of someone like him
326
spongy
i.e. capable of squeezing out sighs
owed
owned
327
motion
emotion
seeming owed
apparently truly his
328
the fore-betrayed
one already betrayed
329
reconcilèd
reformed, repentant