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. Sonnet 88 .

(original language, but moderately updated)

01.     When thou shalt be disposed to set me light,

02.     And place my merit in the eye of scorn,

03.     Upon thy side, against myself I'll fight,

04.     And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn;

05.     With mine own weakness being best acquainted,

06.     Upon thy part I can set down a story

07.     Of faults concealed, wherein I am attainted;

08.     That thou in losing me shalt win much glory,

09.     And I by this will be a gainer too,

10.     For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,

11.     The injuries that to myself I do,

12.     Doing thee vantage, double vantage me.

13.         Such is my love, to thee I so belong,

14.         That for thy right, myself will bear all wrong.

. Sonnet 88 .

(paraphrased)

01.     When you become inclined to take me lightly,

02.     And look scornfully upon my merit,

03.     I will take your side, contend against myself,

04.     And I'll prove you're virtuous, even if you lie;

05.     Since I'm the one best acquainted with my own weakness,

06.     I can give an account, on your behalf,

07.     Of my hidden faults, which condemn me,

08.     So that you, by releasing me, will gain much honor;

09.     And I would also gain from that,

10.     Since all my loving thoughts revolve around you,

11.     Any harm I do to my own name,

12.     If it's to your advantage, it's doubly to my advantage.

13.         Such is the nature of my love, and so much to you I do belong,

14.         That to uphold your right, to release me, I will bear all the wrong, myself.
Sonnet 88 Gloss
L1: set me light = take me lightly; slight me.

L3: fight = argue; contend.

L4: forsworn - Literally "perjured" but the concept here is of falsehood in the more general way.

L8: losing = releasing.
Line 3 of Sonnet 87 gives this equivalent.

L8: shall - Presumably a minor misprint, since strict grammar requires "shalt" following "thou," as in line 1.

L10: bending = turning; revolving.
The idea is that all the Poet's loving thoughts turn, or revolve, around the addressee.

L11: injury = harm (to name or reputation.)
Not physical injury.

L14: right - The addressee's right to release the Poet. 		Sonnet 88 Notes
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This presentation of the Shakespeare Sonnets is an original work.
© Copyright 2008 Jeffrey Paul Jordan
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Updated 12-29-2008