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. Sonnet 40 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all, 02. What hast thou then more than thou hadst before? 03. No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call, 04. All mine was thine, before thou hadst this more: 05. Then if for my love, thou my love receivest, 06. I cannot blame thee, for my love thou usest, 07. But yet be blam'd, if thou this self deceivest 08. By willful taste of what thyself refusest. 09. I do forgive thy robb'ry gentle thief 10. Although thou steal thee all my poverty; 11. And yet love knows it is a greater grief 12. To bear love's wrong, than hate's known injury. 13. Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows, 14. Kill me with spites yet we must not be foes. |
. Sonnet 40 . (paraphrased) 01. "Steal" all my affections, my beloved friend, yes, "steal" them all - 02. What do you have then, more than you had already? 03. No, beloved friend, my affection, that you may call my true "property" of love, 04. All of mine, was already yours, even before you "robbed" that much more; 05. Then if, for love of me, you are a "receiver" of my "stolen" love, 06. I cannot "charge" you, that you "profit" for my love, 07. But yet you will be "charged," if you're deceitful about this "ownership," 08. By willfully partaking of my love that you then forsake. 09. I do forgive you for your "robbery," kind thief, 10. Although you "steal," to yourself, all my poverty of loved ones, 11. And yet, love knows, it is a greater offense 12. To suffer a loving wrong, than hate's certain injury; 13. So, sportive noble, in whom all that's bad looks good, 14. You can "murder" me with such disgraces, yet, we must not be opposing parties "at law." |
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Sonnet 40 Gloss
L1: Take = "steal." Figurative. The Sonnet uses legalistic metaphor, as revealed expressly in line 9. The Poet continually used "steal" to mean "take," so the equivalent is applied here. L3: true love = truly mine i.e. my "property." L5: receivest = be a "receiver" (of stolen goods.) The notion is that since the addressee has "stolen" all the Poet's love, he is therefore a receiver of stolen goods. L6: blame = "charge" (with a "crime.") L6: usest - Suggests usury. L7: blam'd = "charged." L7: self = "own." One's "self" is one's "own." Continues the metaphor, with respect to "owned" versus "stolen." L8: willful = intentional. It's legally significant whether an offense is willful. L8: taste = partaking. (Partaking of "ill-gotten gains.") L8: refusest = forsake. Lines 7 and 8 turn the idea around, that if the addressee declines to be a "receiver of stolen goods," (the Poet's love,) he'll be "charged." L10: poverty - First, literal (the addressee is a patron who has rewarded the Poet.) Second, figurative, in that the Poet feels a "poverty" of loving friendships. L11: love knows - "Love" is used in the phrase the way "god" would typically be used in such a phrase, i.e. "god knows." L11: grief = "legal" offense. L12: wrong = "crime." "Civil offense." L12: injury = "criminal damages." Hate is a "crime." Lines 11 and 12: - (Note, to the right.) L13: lascivious = sportive. This meaning is dictated in advance of Sonnet 121. Facetiously implies illicit behavior. L13: grace = noble. Indicates a person of high social status, as in the term of address, "your grace." L13: ill = "crime." The facetious concept being, 'you make "crime" look respectable.' L14: Kill = "murder." (Continuing the legalistic equivalents.) L14: spites = disgraces. "Victimizations." L14: foes = opposing parties ("at law.") |
Sonnet 40 Notes
Sonnet 40 is by William Shakespeare, to a patron familiar with the "steal/take" concept, and legalisms. The addressee is therefore Edward de Vere. It was Vere who taught Shakespeare legalisms. Sonnet 40 is from a time when Shakespeare was doing well - his "poverty" had been "stolen." That places it in the mid- or late 1590s. The implication of a "poverty of loved ones" may, or may not, place this Sonnet after the death of Hamnet. That's hard to say. It hints of being after Hamnet's death - "love's wrong"/"known injury" (??) - but the Sonnet may only imply a poverty of close friends in London. ------- Lines 11 and 12: The essential concept in the lines is that it's a greater sorrow to lose love, than to be punched in the nose by an enemy. Offenses from an enemy are no big deal, because they're expected. Any serious offense from a beloved friend, however, would really hurt. |
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