Shakespeare's Sonnets: A woman's face with nature's own hand painted

Shakespeare's Sonnets: A woman's face with nature's own hand painted

Sonnet 20

Original Text

SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): c1r.

1A woman's face with nature's own hand painted
2Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion,
3A woman's gentle heart but not acquainted
4With shifting change as is false women's fashion,
5An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
6Gilding the object where-upon it gazeth,
7A man in hue, all hues in his controlling,
8Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
9And for a woman wert thou first created,
10Till nature as she wrought thee fell a doting,
11And by addition me of thee defeated,
12By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
13    But since she prick't thee out for women's pleasure,
14    Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.

Notes

1] Every line in the poem is extrametrical, one syllable longer than Shakespeare's usual pentameter, "adding one thing to my purpose nothing" (11). Back to Line
3] acquainted] perhaps punning on the female "quaint" (or genitalia). Back to Line
11] By adding [one thing] defeated me of thee ... Back to Line
12] The terms "one thing" and "nothing" refer playfully to the male and female sexual organs, respectively. Back to Line
13] prick't] gave you a penis. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1609
RPO poem Editors
Ian Lancashire
RPO Edition
2008
Rhyme
ababcdcdefefgg
Form
sonnet