The Sonnets and Other Poems

by William Shakespeare

  O cleft293 effect! Cold modesty, hot wrath,

  Both fire from hence and chill extincture294 hath.

  ‘For lo, his passion, but an art of craft295,

  Even there resolved296 my reason into tears.

  There my white stole297 of chastity I daffed,

  Shook off my sober guards298 and civil fears,

  Appear to him as he to me appears,

  All melting, though our drops this difference bore:

  His poisoned me and mine did him restore.

  ‘In him a plenitude of subtle302 matter,

  Applied to cautels303, all strange forms receives,

  Of burning blushes, or of weeping water,

  Or swooning paleness: and he takes and leaves,

  In either’s aptness, as it best deceives305,

  To blush at speeches rank307, to weep at woes,

  Or to turn white and swoon at tragic shows,

  ‘That not a heart which in his level309 came

  Could scape the hail of his all-hurting aim,

  Showing fair nature is both kind and tame311,

  And, veiled in them312, did win whom he would maim.

  Against the thing he sought he would exclaim313,

  When he most burned in heart-wished luxury314,

  He preached pure maid and praised cold chastity.

  ‘Thus merely316 with the garment of a grace

  The naked and concealèd fiend he covered,

  That th’unexperient318 gave the tempter place,

  Which319 like a cherubin above them hovered.

  Who, young and simple320, would not be so lovered?

  Ay me, I fell321, and yet do question make

  What I should do again for such a sake322.

  ‘O, that infected moisture of his eye,

  O, that false fire which in his cheek so glowed,

  O, that forced thunder from his heart did fly,

  O, that sad breath his spongy326 lungs bestowed,

  O, all that borrowed motion327 seeming owed,

  Would yet again betray the fore-betrayed328

  And new pervert a reconcilèd329 maid.’

  TEXTUAL NOTES

  VENUS AND ADONIS

  Q = First Quarto text of 1593

  Q2 = a correction introduced in the Second Quarto text of 1594

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  185 Souring = Q (So wring)193 shines but = Q corrected by hand in unique copy to shineth but198 earthly = Q corrected by hand in unique copy to this earthly231 deer spelled deare in Q325 chafing = Q. Ed = chasing 466 love = Q. Ed = loss654 air = Q. Ed = earth748 th’impartial = Q2. Q = the th’impartiall754 sons = Q2. Q = suns832 deeply = Q. Ed = doubly873 twined = Q (twin’d). Ed = twine962 the = Q. Ed = her1031 are = Q. Ed = as1054 had = Q. Ed = was1095 sung = Ed. Q = song1113 did = Q. Q2 = would

  THE RAPE OF LUCRECE

  Q = First Quarto text of 1594

  Q (uncorrected) = uncorrected version of this edition

  Q (corrected) = corrected version of this edition

  Q2 = a correction introduced in the Second Quarto text of 1598

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  THE RAPE OF LUCRECE = Q (poem header and running header, but just LUCRECE on title page)21 peer = Q. Q2 = prince24 morning’s = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = morning31 apology = Q (uncorrected). Q (corrected) = Apologies48 repentant = Q. Ed = repentance50 Collatium = Q (uncorrected). Q (corrected) = Colatia77 in = Q. Ed = o’er125 themselves betake = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = himself betakes126 wake = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = wakes425 Slaked spelled Slakt in Q. Ed = Slacked550 blows = Ed. Q = blow684 prone = Q. Ed = proud/foul755 in = Q. Ed = e’en782 musty = Q. Ed = misty812 quote spelled cote in Q 950 cherish = Q. Ed = perish/blemish1037 betumbled spelled betombled in Q1310 tenor spelled tenure in Q1316 stained her stained = Q. Ed = stained her strain’d/stained her stain’s1452 chaps spelled chops in Q 1652 robbed spelled rob’d in Q1680 on = Q. Ed = one/in1712 The = Q. Ed = Her1713 in it = Ed. Q = it in1822 wounds help = Q. Ed = wounds heal

  THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM

  O1 = First Octavo text of 1598/99

  O2 = Second Octavo text of 1599

  O3 = Third Octavo text of 1612

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  EH = England’s Helicon (1600)

  Griffin = Bartholomew Griffin’s Fidessa (1596)

  LLL = Love’s Labour’s Lost (1597/1623)

  MS = manuscript copy/copies held in Folger Library

  Weelkes = Thomas Weelkes, Madrigals to 3, 4, 5, and 6 voices (1597)

  The only surviving copy of O1 is a fragment containing poems 1–5, 16–18; the remaining poems are edited from O2

  1.11 habit’s in = O1. O2 = habite is

  3.11 Exhal’st = LLL (Exhalst). O1 = Exhalt, O2 = Exhale

  4.13 her = O2. O1 = his

  7.10 whereof = O2. O3 = thereof11 midst = O3. O2 = mids

  10.1 faded spelled vaded in O28 left’st = Ed. O2 = lefts

  11.1 Adonis = O2. Griffin = yong Adonis3 god = O2/O3. MS = great 4 she fell = O2/O3. Griffin = so fell she5 warlike = O2/O3. Griffin = wanton

  13.2 fadeth spelled vadeth in O (also subsequently)

  14.3 care = O2. O3 = eare14 the watch = O2. Ed = them watch27 a moon = Ed. O2/O3 = an houre

  16.12 thorn = EH. O1 = throne

  17.27 stand = Weelkes/EH. O1 = stands28 back peeping = EH. O1 = blacke peeping; Weelkes = back creping34 woe = O1. EH = moane

  19.1 Live = O2. EH = Come live

  “TO THE QUEEN”

  Stanford = a reading in the original manuscript of “To the Queen” (commonplace book of Henry Stanford, Cambridge University Library MS Dd.5.75, fol. 46)

  Ed = a modern editorial reading

  TO THE QUEEN = Stanford (“to the Q. by the players 1598”); date is old-style calendar

  16 fathers’ = Ed. Stanford = father

  “LET THE BIRD OF LOUDEST LAY”

  The 1601 Quarto printing in Robert Chester’s collection, Love’s Martyr, contains no disputed readings.

  SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS

  Q = First Quarto text of 1609

  MS = a reading in an early manuscript copy

  O1 = First Octavo of The Passionate Pilgrim (1598/99)

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  2.4 tattered = MS. Q = totter’d11 ‘This…excuse’ speechmarks = Ed

  5.14 Lose spelled Leese in Q

  6.4 beauty’s = Ed. Q = beautits

  8.0 MS Sonnet 8 = title “In laudem musice et opprobrium contemptoris eiusdem” (“In praise of music and opprobium of those who hold it in contempt”)14 ‘Thou…none’ speechmarks = Ed

  12.4 all silvered o’er = Ed. Q = or siluer’d ore. Alternate Ed = are silver’d o’er/o’er-silvered all/ensilvered o’er/o’er-silvered are

  13.7 Yourself = Ed. Q = You selfe

  14.8 oft = Q. Ed = aught/ought

  17.12 metre spelled miter in Q

  19.5 fleet’st = Q. Ed = fleets14 ever live = Q. Ed = live ever

  20.7 man in = Q. Ed = maiden/native/maid in

  21.5 couplement = Q (coopelment). Ed = Complement

  22.3 furrows = Q (forrwes). Ed = Sorrows4 expiate = Q. Ed = expirate

  23.6 rite spelled right in Q9 books = Q. Ed = looks14 with…wit = Ed. Q = wit…wiht

  24.1 stelled spelled steeld in Q

  25.9 might = Ed. Q = worth. Alternate Ed = fight11 quite = Q. Ed = forth

  26.11 tattered spelled tottered in Q12 thy = Ed. Q = their

  27.2 travel spelled trauaill in Q10 thy = Ed. Q = their

  28.5 either’s = Q (ethers). Ed = other’s12 gild’st the even = Ed. Q = guil’st th’ eauen13–14 longer…length…stronger = Q. Ed = longer…strength…stronger/stronger…length…longer

  30.8 sight = Q. Ed = sigh

  31.8 there = Q. Ed = thee

  32.10 ‘Had…love’ speechmarks = Ed

  33.8 west = Q. Ed = rest

  34.12
cross = Ed. losse = Q

  35.8 thy…thy = Ed. Q = their…their. Alternate Ed = thy…their/their…thy/thee…thy/these…these9 in sense = Q (in sence). Ed = Incense

  37.7 thy = Ed. Q = their

  39.12 dost = Q. Ed = do/doth

  40.7 this self = Q. Ed = thy self8 thyself = Q (thy selfe). Ed = thy sense

  41.8 he = Q. Ed = she9 mightst = Ed. Q = mighst

  43.11 thy = Ed. Q = their

  44.13 naught = Ed. Q = naughts

  45.5 For = Q. Ed = Forth/So12 thy = Ed. Q = their

  46.3, 8 thy = Ed. Q = their13, 14 thy = Ed. Q = their. Alternate Ed = thine

  47.10 are = Q. Ed = art11 not = Ed. Q = nor. Alternate Ed = no

  50.4 ‘Thus…friend’ speechmarks = Ed6 dully spelled duly in Q

  51.11 neigh = Q (naigh). Ed = weigh/raign

  54.14 fade spelled vade in Qmy = Ed. Q = by

  55.1 monuments = Ed. Q = monument9 all oblivious = Q. Ed = all- oblivious/all oblivion’s

  56.13 Or = Ed. Q = As. Alternate Ed = Else

  58.11 To = Q. Ed = Do

  59.11 whe’er spelled where in Q

  61.8 tenure = Q. Ed = tenor

  62.7 for = Q. Ed = sodo = Q. Ed = so10 Beated = Q. Ed = ’Bated/Batter’d/Blasted/Beaten

  63.3 filed = Ed. Q = fild. Alternate Ed = filled

  65.10 chest = Q. Ed = quest12 Or…of = Ed. Q = Or…or. Alternate Ed = Or…o’er

  67.6 seeing = Q. Ed = seeming12 proud = Q. Ed = prov’d

  69.3 that due = Ed. Q = that end. Alternate Ed = thy due5 Thy = Ed. Q = Their. Alternate Ed = Thine14 soil = Ed. Q = solye. Alternate Ed = solve

  70.1 art = Ed. Q = are6 Thy = Ed. Q = Theiroft-time= MS (oftime). Q = of time

  71.2 surly sullen = Q. MS = sullen surly8 you = Q. MS = me

  72.6 To…me = Q. Ed = To do for me more

  73.4 Bare ruined choirs = Ed. Q = Bare rn’wd quires. Alternate Ed = Bare ruin’d quires/Barren’d of quires

  74.5 review = Q (reuew). Ed = renew

  75.3 peace = Q. Ed = price/sake

  76.7 tell = Ed. Q = fel. Alternate Ed = fell/sell

  77.1 wear = Ed. Q = were3 The = Q. Ed = These6 thee = Q. Ed = the 10 blanks = Ed. Q = blacks

  78.7 learnd’s = Q (learneds). Ed = learnedst

  82.8 the = Q. Ed = these

  85.3 Reserve their = Q. Ed = Preserve their/Rehearse your/Reserve your 4 filed = Q (fil’d). Ed = filled9 ‘’Tis…true’ speechmarks = Ed

  86.13 filled = Q (fild). Ed = fil’d

  88.1 disposed = Ed. Q = dispode

  89.11 profane = Q (corrected). Q (uncorrected) = proface

  90.11 shall = Ed. Q = stall

  91.9 better = Ed. Q = bitter

  95.12 turns = Q. Ed = turn

  96.11 mightst = Ed. Q = mighst

  97.4 bareness = Q. Ed = barrenness

  98.9 lily’s spelled Lillies in Q11 were spelled weare in Q

  99.9 One = Ed. Q = Our13 eat = Q (eate). Ed = ate

  100.14 prevent’st = Ed. Q = preuenst. Alternate Ed = preven’st

  101.11 him = Q. Ed = her14 him…he = Q. Ed = her…she

  102.8 his = Q. Ed = her

  104.1 friend = Q. Ed = love5 autumn = Q (Autumne). Ed = autumns

  106.1 chronicle of wasted = Q. MS = annals of all-wasting2 descriptions = Q (disciptions). Ed = discription3 rhyme = Q. Ed = mine6 Of…foot = Q. MS = Of face, of handof eye = Q. MS = or eyeof brow = Q. MS = or brow9 their = Q. Ed = these11 divining = Q. MS = deceiving12 skill = MS/Ed. Q = still. Alternate Ed = styleyour = Q. MS/Ed = thy

  108.3 now = Q. Ed = new

  111.1 with = Ed. Q = wish2 harmful = Q. Ed = harmless12 to = Q. Ed = too

  112.8 or changes = Q. Ed = e’er changes/o’erchanges14 you’re spelled y’are in Q

  113.6 bird, of = Q. Ed = birds, orlatch = Ed. Q = lack8 catch = Q. Ed = take10 sweet favour = Q (sweet-fauor). Ed = sweet-favoured 14 makes mine eye = Ed. Q = maketh mine. Alternate Ed = mak’th mine eye

  116.8 worth’s = Q. Ed = north’s

  118.5 ne’er-cloying = Q (nere cloying). Ed = neare cloying

  119.7 fitted = Q. Ed = flitted

  126.2 fickle = Q. Ed = ticklesickle = Q. Ed = fickle/tickle8 minutes = Ed. Q = mynuit

  127.9 brows…eyes = Ed. Q = eyes…eyes. Alternate Ed = eyes…brows/eyes…hairs/hairs…eyes/eyes…brow10 and = Q. Ed = that/as

  128.14 thy fingers = Ed. Q = their fingers. MS = youre fingersthy lips = Q. MS = youre lipes

  129.11 and proved a = Ed. Q = and proud and

  132.2 torment = Q. Ed = torments6 the east = Ed. Q = th’East

  136.14 lovest = Q. Ed = lov’st

  138.12 to have = O1. Q = t’haue

  140.13 belied = Ed. Q = be lyde

  144.6 side = O1. Q = sight9 fiend spelled finde in Q

  145.2, 9, 13 ‘I hate’ speechmarks = Ed14 ‘not you’ speechmarks = Ed.

  146.2 [] these = Ed. Q = My sinful earth. Alternate Ed = Fool’d by those/Starv’d by the/Hemmed with these/Gull’d by these/Feeding these/Spoiled by these/Seiged by these

  148.8 ‘no’ speechmarks = Ed. Q = all mens: no

  151.14 ‘love’ speechmarks = Ed

  152.14 so = Ed. Q = fo

  153.8 strange = Q (strang). Ed = strong14 eyes = Ed. Q = eye

  “A LOVER’S COMPLAINT”

  Q = Quarto text of 1609

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  7 sorrow’s = Ed. Q = sorrowes14 lattice = Ed. Q = lettice37 beaded = Ed. Q = bedded51 gave = Q. Ed = ’gan80 O, one = Q (O one). Ed = Of one102 May = Q. Ed = March118 Came = Ed. Q = Can135 in it put = Q. Ed = put it in161 wits = Q. Ed = wills182 woo = Ed. Q = vovv198 pallid = Q (palyd). Ed = pald204 hair = Ed. Q = heir228 Hallowed = Ed. Q = Hollowed241 Paling = Ed. Q = Playing251 immured = Ed. Q = enur’d 252 procured = Ed. Q = procure260 nun = Ed. Q = Sunne261 ay = Ed. Q = I270 kindred, fame = Ed. Q = kindred fame271 peace = Q. Ed = proof293 O = Ed. Q = Or305 swooning = Ed. Q = sounding308 swoon = Ed. Q = sound

  SHAKESPEARE’S WORKS: A CHRONOLOGY

  1589–91 ? Arden of Faversham (possible part authorship)

  1589–92 The Taming of the Shrew

  1589–92 ? Edward the Third (possible part authorship)

  1591 The Second Part of Henry the Sixth, originally called The First Part of the Contention betwixt the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster (element of co-authorship possible)

  1591 The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, originally called The True Tragedy of Richard Duke of York (element of co-authorship probable)

  1591–92 The Two Gentlemen of Verona

  1591–92 perhaps revised 1594 The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus (probably co-written with, or revising an earlier version by, George Peele)

  1592 The First Part of Henry the Sixth, probably with Thomas Nashe and others

  1592/94 King Richard the Third

  1593 Venus and Adonis (poem)

  1593–94 The Rape of Lucrece (poem)

  1593–1608 Sonnets (154 poems, published 1609 with “A Lover’s Complaint,” a poem of disputed authorship)

  1592–94/1600–03 Sir Thomas More (a single scene for a play originally by Anthony Munday, with other revisions by Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, and Thomas Heywood)

  1594 The Comedy of Errors

  1595 Love’s Labour’s Lost

  1595–97 Love’s Labour’s Won (a lost play, unless the original title for another comedy)

  1595–96 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

  1595–96 The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

  1595–96 King Richard the Second

  1595–97 The Life and Death of King John (possibly earlier)

  1596–97 The Merchant of Venice

  1596–97 The First Part of Henry the Fourth

  1597–98 The Second Part of Henry the Fourth

  1598 Much Ado about Nothing

  1598–99 The Passionate Pilgrim (20 poems, some not by Shakespeare)

  1599 The Life of Henry the Fifth

  1599 “To the Queen” (epilogue for a court perf
ormance)

  1599 As You Like It

  1599 The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

  1600–01 The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (perhaps revising an earlier version)

  1600–01 The Merry Wives of Windsor (perhaps revising version of 1597–99)

  1601 “Let the Bird of Loudest Lay” (poem, known since 1807 as “The Phoenix and Turtle” (turtledove))

  1601 Twelfth Night, or What You Will

  1601–02 The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida

  1604 The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice

  1604 Measure for Measure

  1605 All’s Well that Ends Well

  1605 The Life of Timon of Athens, with Thomas Middleton

  1605–06 The Tragedy of King Lear

  1605–08 ? contribution to The Four Plays in One (lost, except for A Yorkshire Tragedy, mostly by Thomas Middleton)

  1606 The Tragedy of Macbeth (surviving text has additional scenes by Thomas Middleton)

  1606–07 The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra

  1608 The Tragedy of Coriolanus

  1608 Pericles, Prince of Tyre, with George Wilkins

  1610 The Tragedy of Cymbeline

  1611 The Winter’s Tale

  1611 The Tempest

  1612–13 Cardenio, with John Fletcher (survives only in later adaptation called Double Falsehood, by Lewis Theobald)

  1613 Henry VIII (All Is True), with John Fletcher

  1613–14 The Two Noble Kinsmen, with John Fletcher

  FURTHER READING

  Auden, W. H., Introduction to Signet Classics edition of the Sonnets, ed. William Burto (1964). A poet’s reading, with some attention to the question of homosexuality.

  Bate, Jonathan, “Sexual Poetry,” chap. 2 of Shakespeare and Ovid (1993), “Shakespeare’s Autobiographical Poems?” chap. 3 of The Genius of Shakespeare (1997, revised edition 2008), and “The Perplexities of Love,” chap. 12 of Soul of the Age: The Life, Mind and World of William Shakespeare (2008). Two different takes on the sonnets and an essay on the Ovidianism of the narrative poems by the editor of this volume.

  Berryman, John, Berryman’s Shakespeare, ed. John Haffenden (1999). Includes reflections on the sonnets by one of modern poetry’s greatest sonnet writers.