William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)
Shakespeare's Sonnets: Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits
Sonnet 41
1Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits
2When I am some-time absent from thy heart,
3Thy beauty and thy years full well befits,
4For still temptation follows where thou art.
5Gentle thou art, and therefore to be won,
6Beaut'ous thou art, therefore to be assailed.
7And when a woman woos, what woman's son
8Will sourly leave her till he have prevailed?
9Aye me, but yet thou might'st my seat forbear
10And chide thy beauty and thy straying youth
11Who lead thee in their riot even there
12Where thou art forc't to break a two-fold truth:
13 Hers, by thy beauty tempting her to thee,
14 Thine, by thy beauty being false to me.
Notes
4] still] always.
6] Beaut'ous] Beautious Q.
8] sourly] in bad temper.
9] might'st] mighst Q
11] riot] wildness.
12] truth] troth, vow.
Online text copyright © 2012, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.
Original text: SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): d1r-d1v.
First publication date:
1609
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2008
Recent editing: 1:2008/8/23
Form: sonnet
Rhyme: ababcdcdefefgg
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