Sonnet 51

Thus can my love excuse the slow offence

Of my dull bearer, when from thee I speed,

From where thou art, why should I hast me thence,

Till I returne of posting is noe need.

O what excuse will my poore beast then find,

When swift extremity can seeme but slow,

Then should I spurre though mounted on the wind,

In winged speed no motion I shall know.

Then can no horse with my desire keepe pace,

Therefore desire (of perfect love being made)

Shall naigh noe dull flesh in his fiery race,

But love, for love, thus shall excuse my jade;

Since from thee going he went wilfull slow,

Towards thee ile run, and give him leave to goe.

Commentary

Address to an absent beloved

Changes to the original text: end of line 1, comma deleted; line 3, 'shoulld' changed to 'should'; end of line 8, comma changed to full stop; line 10, 'perfects' changed to 'perfect'

In the octet, the poet seeks to find reasons to excuse his horse for going slowly: there is no need to go quickly until he (the poet) returns (till I return of posting is no need). Even winged speed on his return will seem slow.

In the third quatrain, the poet postulates that even the fastest horse will seem slow to him on the return journey. Line 11 presents some difficulties of interpretation, but it seems first of all necessary to detach 'naigh no' from its normal meaning, and hear 'nay no' ie a double negative, 'naigh' being more appropriate to a horse, and effectively meaning to deny ie to neigh 'no'. The horse therefore denies his dull flesh in getting up speed.

In the final couplet, the poet excuses his horse since he went from his beloved slowly, but he (the poet) will let him (the horse) run on the way back.

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