This is one of my very favorite sonnets by Mr Shakespeare, I have typed out the notes aswell cos they often help me understand what he was driving at.
Sonnet 129:
Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action lust
Is purjur'd, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,
Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight,
Past reason hunted, and sooner had
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad;
Mad in pursuit and in possession so,
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof and prov'd, a very woe;
Before, a joy propos'd; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows, yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads man to this hell.
Sonnet 129:
Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action; and till action lust
Is purjur'd, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,
Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight,
Past reason hunted, and sooner had
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait
On purpose laid to make the taker mad;
Mad in pursuit and in possession so,
Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;
A bliss in proof and prov'd, a very woe;
Before, a joy propos'd; behind, a dream.
All this the world well knows, yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads man to this hell.
1) expense - using up, paying out; in a waste of shame - in the course of shameful extravagance, in a wasteland created by shame,
3) purjur'd - lying; full of blame - greatly to be blamed, very ready to blame others
7) bait - like rat poison or a fish taking the bait.
9) Mad - possibly should be 'Made' - ie: "made....extreme"
11) in proof - in the experiencing; prov'd - once experienced.
1 comment:
I have just been told by my mother that this is actually shakespeares rudest sonnet....that I did not know...hmmm...obviously I'm just too innocent!
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