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. Sonnet 79 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid, 02. My verse alone had all thy gentle grace, 03. But now my gracious numbers are decayed, 04. And my sick Muse doth give another place. 05. I grant (sweet love) thy lovely argument 06. Deserves the travail of a worthier pen, 07. Yet what of thee thy Poet doth invent, 08. He robs thee of, and pays it thee again; 09. He lends thee virtue, and he stole that word, 10. From thy behavior, beauty doth he give 11. And found it in thy cheek; he can afford 12. No praise to thee, but what in thee doth live. 13. Then thank him not for that which he doth say, 14. Since what he owes thee, thou thyself dost pay. |
. Sonnet 79 . (paraphrased) 01. During the time when I, alone, called upon your help, 02. My verse, alone, had all your noble favor, 03. But now my courteous verses are declined, 04. And my Muse, surfeited with my verse, gives another poet my role; 05. I concede (beloved friend) the lovely topic of yourself 06. Deserves the efforts of a better poet than me, 07. Yet, whatever your "court poet" composes about you, 08. He has taken from you, and then he's only giving it back; 09. He allows that you have "virtue," but he took that word 10. From your conduct - so what else could he say? - he gives you the word "beauty," in his verse, 11. But he found beauty in your features; he can accomplish 12. No praise of you, except by writing of what you already are. 13. So, don't thank him for writing what he does, 14. Since the praise he owes you, in his verse, is only something you, yourself, have bestowed upon him. |
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Sonnet 79 Gloss
L2: gentle grace = noble favor. L3: gracious = courtly; courteous. L3: numbers = verses. L3: decayed = declined. L4: sick = surfeited. (Note, to the right.) L4: Muse - The addressee. L4: place = (my) role. (Note, to the right.) L5: grant = concede. L6: travail = labors; efforts. L7: thy Poet = your "court poet;" your "official poet." (Note, to the right.) L8: robs = takes. (Note, to the right.) L11: cheek = face; features. A synecdoche. L11: afford = accomplish. L12: live = exist; abide. Line 14 - The idea is that the addressee doesn't owe the poet anything when the poet inevitably writes of how the addressee is. Just writing of how somebody is, is not really a favor, it's only a factual report. |
Sonnet 79 Notes
L4: sick = surfeited. See Henry IV, Part II Act 1 scene 3. ~=~ Scroop: Let us on, And publish the occasion of our arms. The commonwealth is sick of their own choice; Their over-greedy love hath surfeited. =~=~= L4: place = (my) role. The role being "court poet," so to speak, for the addressee. (By the way, the idea of "court poet" or "official poet" does not mean the addressee is actually part of the royal court of England, i.e. the Poet is not writing to Queen Elizabeth I. The first two lines of the Sonnet rule out that possibility; the Queen never had just one poet praising her.) L7: thy Poet = your "court poet;" your "official poet." It refers to whoever the addressee's favored poet may be, at any given time. The Poet is not saying he's essentially different from the other poet. As the Sonnet goes on to explain, any "court poet" the addressee has, when he praises the addressee, will only be expounding upon how the addressee already is, and will not really be giving the addressee anything new. L8: robs = takes. The word "robs" is figurative, with no implication of injustice against the addressee. It's the sophisticated "take" concept which the Poet used extensively throughout his writings, both his poetry and his plays. |
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