English History

Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets published in his ‘quarto’ in 1609, covering themes such as the passage of time, mortality, love, beauty, infidelity, and jealousy. The first 126 of Shakespeare’s sonnets are addressed to a young man, and the last 28 addressed to a woman – a mysterious ‘dark lady’.

1 21 41 61 81 101 121 141
2 22 42 62 82 102 122 142
3 23 43 63 83 103 123 143
4 24 44 64 84 104 124 144
5 25 45 65 85 105 125 145
6 26 46 66 86 106 126 146
7 27 47 67 87 107 127 147
8 28 48 68 88 108 128 148
9 29 49 69 89 109 129 149
10 30 50 70 90 110 130 150
11 31 51 71 91 111 131 151
12 32 52 72 92 112 132 152
13 33 53 73 93 113 133 153
14 34 54 74 94 114 134 154
15 35 55 75 95 115 135
16 36 56 76 96 116 136
17 37 57 77 97 117 137
18 38 58 78 98 118 138
19 39 59 79 99 119 139
20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Sonnet 50

How heavy do I journey on the way,When what I seek, my weary travel’s end,Doth teach that ease and that repose to say,‘Thus far the miles are measured from thy friend!’The beast that bears me, tired with my woe,Plods dully on, to bear that weight in me,As if by some instinct the wretch did knowHis […]

Sonnet 49

Against that time, if ever that time come,When I shall see thee frown on my defects,When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,Called to that audit by advis’d respects;Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,When love, converted from the thing it was,Shall reasons find of […]

Sonnet 48

How careful was I when I took my way,Each trifle under truest bars to thrust,That to my use it might unused stayFrom hands of falsehood, in sure wards of trust!But thou, to whom my jewels trifles are,Most worthy comfort, now my greatest grief,Thou best of dearest, and mine only care,Art left the prey of every […]

Sonnet 47

Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took,And each doth good turns now unto the other:When that mine eye is famish’d for a look,Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother,With my love’s picture then my eye doth feast,And to the painted banquet bids my heart;Another time mine eye is my heart’s guest,And […]

Sonnet 46

Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war,How to divide the conquest of thy sight;Mine eye my heart thy picture’s sight would bar,My heart mine eye the freedom of that right.My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie,A closet never pierc’d with crystal eyes,But the defendant doth that plea deny,And says in […]

Sonnet 45

The other two, slight air, and purging fireAre both with thee, wherever I abide;The first my thought, the other my desire,These present-absent with swift motion slide.For when these quicker elements are goneIn tender embassy of love to thee,My life, being made of four, with two aloneSinks down to death, oppress’d with melancholy;Until life’s composition be […]

Sonnet 44

If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,Injurious distance should not stop my way;For then despite of space I would be brought,From limits far remote, where thou dost stay.No matter then although my foot did standUpon the farthest earth remov’d from thee;For nimble thought can jump both sea and land,As soon as think the […]

Sonnet 43

When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see,For all the day they view things unrespected;But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright,How would thy shadow’s form form happy showTo the clear day with thy much clearer light,When […]

Sonnet 42

That thou hast her it is not all my grief,And yet it may be said I loved her dearly;That she hath thee is of my wailing chief,A loss in love that touches me more nearly.Loving offenders thus I will excuse ye:Thou dost love her, because thou know’st I love her;And for my sake even so […]

Sonnet 41

Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits,When I am sometime absent from thy heart,Thy beauty, and thy years full well befits,For still temptation follows where thou art.Gentle thou art, and therefore to be won,Beauteous thou art, therefore to be assail’d;And when a woman woos, what woman’s sonWill sourly leave her till he have prevail’d?Ay me! but […]