Shakespeare's Sonnets: How oft when thou, my music, music play'st
Shakespeare's Sonnets: How oft when thou, my music, music play'st
Sonnet 128
Original Text
SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): h3v.
1How oft when thou, my music, music play'st
2Upon that blessèd wood whose motion sounds
3With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st
4The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
6To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
7Whil'st my poor lips, which should that harvest reap,
8At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand.
9To be so tickled they would change their state
12Making dead wood more bless't than living lips.
13 Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
Notes
5] jacks] "In the virginal, spinet, and harpsichord: An upright piece of wood fixed to the back of the key-lever, and fitted with a quill which plucked the string as the jack rose on the key's being pressed down. (By Shakes. and some later writers erron. applied to the key.) (OED, "Jack," n. 1.)" Back to Line
10] chips] keys. Back to Line
11] their] Q; thy Malone. Back to Line
14] their] Q; thy Malone. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1609
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2008
Rhyme
Form