Sonnet 119

Commentary

Address to his beloved

Changes to the original text:

This sonnet is somewhat convuluted, but the movement of thought generally can be deciphered.

In the first quatrain, the poet begins by detailing the fact that he has been associating with foul company (Lymbecks foule), probably licentious women (there is an engraving of an alambic at the foot of this note. Shakespeare is on the left). Line 3 can be applied to the person in love generally, who oscillates between hopes and fears, in this case the poet, who hopes to have his mistress, then fears he has lost her, but in all this hoping and fearing, even if he wins what he wants, he loses, or so he realises now.

In the second quatrain, the poet laments that he has committed huge errors of love, but still thought himself blessed at the time. Clearly, he writes, his vision or judgement has been corrupted (how have mine eies out of their Spheares been fitted).

In the third quatrain, the poet opines that the benefit of this ill thinking is that what is better (that better is) than these licentious women ie his love for his beloved, is made still better by this previous ill thinking and realisation of the worthlessness of his endeavours and of the said women.

In the final couplet, the poet claims that, in returning to his beloved (rebukt to my content), he gains much more than he had lost.