RPO -- William Shakespeare : Shakespeare's Sonnets: Against that time (if ever that time come)

William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Against that time (if ever that time come)
Sonnet 49

1Against that time (if ever that time come)

2When I shall see thee frown on my defects,

3When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,

4Call'd to that audit by advis'd respects,

5Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass

6And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,

7When love converted from the thing it was

8Shall reasons find of settled gravity;

9Against that time do I ensconce me here

10Within the knowledge of mine own desert,

11And this my hand against my self uprear

12To guard the lawful reasons on thy part;

13 To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws,

14 Since why to love I can allege no cause.

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Shakespeare's Sonnets: How careful was I when I took my way next poem in the collection
Shakespeare's Sonnets: How heavy do I journey on the way

Notes

1] Against] Anticipating.

3] cast his utmost sum] added up the final reckoning.

4] respects] considerations (OED, "respect," n., 14a).

5] strangely] as if we were strangers.

9] ensconce] "shelter within or behind a fortification" (OED, 2b).

11] uprear] raise up, as a guard who bars the way.

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): d3r.
First publication date: 1609
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2008
Recent editing: 1:2008/8/24

Form: sonnet
Rhyme: ababcdcdefefgg

Other poems by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Against that time (if ever that time come)Sonnet 49

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Against that time (if ever that time come)
Sonnet 49