Shakespeare's Sonnets: Sweet love, renew thy force, be it not said

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Sweet love, renew thy force, be it not said

Sonnet 56

Original Text
SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): d4v.
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. Back to Line
8] spirit] pronounced as a single syllable (cf. OED, "sprite"). Back to Line
9] int'rim] interim. Back to Line
13] As] For example. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1609
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2008
Rhyme
ababcdcdefefgg
Form
sonnet