William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)
Shakespeare's Sonnets: How heavy do I journey on the way
Sonnet 50
1How heavy do I journey on the way,
2When what I seek (my weary travel's end)
3Doth teach that ease and that repose to say
4"Thus far the miles are measur'd from thy friend."
5The beast that bears me, tired with my woe,
6Plods dully on, to bear that weight in me,
7As if by some instinct the wretch did know
8His rider lov'd not speed, being made from thee.
9The bloody spur cannot provoke him on
10That some-times anger thrusts into his hide,
11Which heavily he answers with a groan,
12More sharp to me than spurring to his side,
13 For that same groan doth put this in my mind,
14 My grief lies onward and my joy behind.
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-d3v.
First publication date:
1609
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2008
Recent editing: 1:2008/8/24
Form: sonnet
Rhyme: ababcdcdefefgg
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