Sonnet 89

Commentary

Address to his beloved

Changes to the original text:

For the second time, Shakespeare mentions his lameness (see Sonnet 37 for the first occasion). Line 3 reads 'speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt'. There is no suggestion that the word is used metaphorically here.

In the first quatrain, the poet asserts that he will understand that he is being cut off by the young man because of a physical infirmity ie his lameness. Still, the poet manages a pun, using the word 'halt' (meaning both 'stop' and 'limp') at the end of the line.

In the second quatrain, the poet undertakes that if it is a fact that the beloved wishes to end the relationship, he (the poet) will himself take the beloved's side, look strange and strangle acquaintance when they meet.

In the third quatrain, the poet continues to undertake their estrangement.

In the final couplet, the poet further undertakes to argue against himself.

This is a sad, resigned poem. There is not even relief given from metaphors from nature: there are none. The vocabulary is taken from the law, 'fault', 'offence', 'defence', and religion 'disgrace', 'profane', and speech generally, 'debate', 'tongue', 'tell'. But the strongest word is 'hate', the last word, and a word taken up immediately in the next sonnet.