William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)
Shakespeare's Sonnets: Sweet love, renew thy force, be it not said
Sonnet 56
1Sweet love, renew thy force, be it not said
2Thy edge should blunter be than appetite,
3Which but to-day by feeding is allayed,
4To-morrow sharp'ned in his former might.
5So, love, be thou, although to-day thou fill
6Thy hungry eyes ev'n till they wink with fullness.
7To-morrow see again and do not kill
8The spirit of love with a perpetual dullness:
9Let this sad int'rim like the ocean be
10Which parts the shore, where two contracted new
11Come daily to the banks, that when they see
12Return of love, more blest may be the view.
13 As call it winter, which being full of care,
14 Makes summers welcome, thrice more wish'd, more rare.
Notes
6] wink] shut.
8] spirit] pronounced as a single syllable (cf. OED, "sprite").
9] int'rim] interim.
13] As] For example.
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): d4v.
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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