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. Sonnet 22 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. My glass shall not persuade me I am old, 02. So long as youth and thou are of one date, 03. But when in thee time's furrows I behold, 04. Then look I death my days should expiate. 05. For all that beauty that doth cover thee, 06. Is but the seemly raiment of my heart, 07. Which in thy breast doth live, as thine in me, 08. How can I then be elder than thou art? 09. O therefore love be of thyself so wary 10. As I not for myself but for thee will, 11. Bearing thy heart which I will keep so chary 12. As tender nurse her babe from faring ill, 13. Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain, 14. Thou gavest me thine not to give back again. |
. Sonnet 22 . (paraphrased) 01. No matter what I see in my mirror, I won't believe that I'm old 02. As long as you are young, like Youth, itself, 03. But when, and if, I see wrinkles of old age on you, 04. Then I'll look for death to atone for my "sin" of living so long, 05. For, all the beauty that I do see covering you, 06. Is only, in truth, a fitting and proper "costuming," I've given you, because I love you from my heart, 07. Which love lives in your breast, as your love lives in my heart, so, since our hearts are both young in love, 08. How, then, can I be older than you are? 09. O therefore, since I love you, take good care of yourself, 10. As I will take care of myself, not out of selfishness, but for you, 11. Holding your love, which I will watch over as carefully 12. As an attentive nurse, to keep a baby from doing poorly; 13. Don't take your love of me for granted, that it will continue when I am dead, because 14. You gave me your love to keep (so I intend to take your love with me when I die.) |
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Sonnet 22 Gloss
L1: glass = mirror. L2: youth - Personified. L2: one date = the same age. L3: time's furrows = deeply wrinkled skin, caused by old age. L4: expiate = atone for. (Note, to the right.) L4: days = age. L5: doth cover thee = that I see on you. L6: but = only, just. L6: seemly = 'fitting' and 'proper,' both. (Double meaning.) L6: raiment = costuming. The stage term is best. L6: of = from. L6: heart = love, from the heart. L7: live = abide, dwell. L8: elder = older, more elderly. (Note, to the right.) L9: wary = watchful. 'Watch out for yourself,' 'take good care of yourself.' L11: Bearing = holding, nurturing. Like caring for a baby, as line 12 goes on to say. L11: heart = love. It's a poetic equation of "heart" and "love" as if they were identical. L11: keep = watch over, tend. L11: so chary = with such care, so carefully; as carefully. L12: faring ill = doing poorly because of neglect. L13: presume = take for granted. (Note, to the right.) |
Sonnet 22 Notes
Sonnet 22 is by Edward de Vere, to William Shakespeare. Of course nobody else has told you that. ------- L4: expiate = atone for. The Poet casts it as a "mortal sin" that he should ever see the addressee as an old man, and for that "sin," of living so long, he would deserve capital punishment. More simply expressed, the Poet says, "if I lived that long, I'd deserve to die." L8: elder = older, more elderly. The poetic question being, since the Poet, like the youth, is "young at heart, with love" how can he be older? The persons should be the same age, since their hearts are both young, figuratively speaking. L13: presume = take for granted. In line 13 the Poet is saying, 'don't take for granted you'll still love me when I'm gone.' The reason being, as stated in line 14, 'when I die I'm going to take your love with me.' It's a charming variation on the idea of "taking it with you" when you die. In this case, the Poet is humorously asserting that the addressee won't love him after he's dead, because the Poet is going to take all the addressee's love with him. |
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