Shakespeare's Sonnets: Some glory in their birth, some in their skill

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Some glory in their birth, some in their skill

Sonnet 91

Original Text
SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): f3v-f4r.
1Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,
2Some in their wealth, some in their bodies' force,
3Some in their garments, though new-fangled ill,
4Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse;
5And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure
6Wherein it finds a joy above the rest,
7But these particulars are not my measure,
8All these I better in one gen'ral best.
9Thy love is better than high birth to me,
10Richer then wealth, prouder than garments' cost,
11Of more delight than hawks or horses be,
12And having thee, of all men's pride I boast:
13    Wretched in this alone, that thou may'st take
14    All this away, and me most wretched make.

Notes

3] new-fangled ill] trendy but bad. Back to Line
5] Extrametrical like line 7. Back to Line
7] measure] "A standard, rule of judgement, etc., against which something may be gauged, determined, or regulated; a criterion, test" (OED, "measure," n., 6). Back to Line
8] gen'ral] generall Q. Back to Line
9] better] bitter Q. Back to Line
12] of all men's pride] of [having] what all men value most. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1609
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2008
Rhyme
ababcdcdefefgg
Form
sonnet