Sonnet XLVI.

“Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war”

MINE eye and heart are at a mortal war   
How to divide the conquest of thy sight;   
Mine eye my heart thy picture’s sight would bar,   
My heart mine eye the freedom of that right.   
My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie,—            5
A closet never pierc’d with crystal eyes,—   
But the defendant doth that plea deny,   
And says in him thy fair appearance lies.   
To ’cide this title is impannelled   
A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart;     10
And by their verdict is determined   
The clear eye’s moiety and the dear heart’s part:   
  As thus; mine eye’s due is thy outward part,   
  And my heart’s right thine inward love of heart.   

Sonnet XLVII.

“Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took”

BETWIXT mine eye and heart a league is took   
And each doth good turns now unto the other:   
When that mine eye is famish’d for a look,   
Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother,   
With my love’s picture then my eye doth feast,            5
And to the painted banquet bids my heart;   
Another time mine eye is my heart’s guest,   
And in his thoughts of love doth share a part:   
So, either by thy picture or my love,   
Thyself away art present still with me;     10
For thou not further than my thoughts canst move,   
And I am still with them and they with thee;   
  Or, if they sleep, thy picture in my sight   
  Awakes my heart to heart’s and eye’s delight.   

Sonnet XLVIII.

“How careful was I when I took my way”

HOW careful was I when I took my way   
Each trifle under truest bars to thrust,   
That to my use it might unused stay   
From hands of falsehood, in sure wards of trust!   
But thou, to whom my jewels trifles are,            5
Most worthy comfort, now my greatest grief,   
Thou, best of dearest and mine only care,   
Art left the prey of every vulgar thief.   
Thee have I not lock’d up in any chest,   
Save where thou art not, though I feel thou art,     10
Within the gentle closure of my breast,   
From whence at pleasure thou mayst come and part;   
  And even thence thou wilt be stol’n, I fear,   
  For truth proves thievish for a prize so dear.   

Sonnet XLIX.

“Against that time, if ever that time come”

AGAINST that time, if ever that time come   
When I shall see thee frown on my defects,   
When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,   
Call’d to that audit by advis’d respects;   
Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,            5
And scarcely greet me with that sun, thine eye,   
When love, converted from the thing it was,   
Shall reasons find of settled gravity;   
Against that time do I ensconce me here   
Within the knowledge of mine own desert,     10
And this my hand against myself uprear,   
To guard the lawful reasons on thy part:   
  To leave poor me thou hast the strength of laws,   
  Since why to love I can allege no cause.   

Sonnet L.

“How heavy do I journey on the way”

HOW heavy do I journey on the way   
When what I seek, my weary travel’s end,   
Doth teach that ease and that repose to say,   
‘Thus far the miles are measur’d from thy friend!’   
The beast that bears me, tired with my woe,            5
Plods dully on, to bear that weight in me,   
As if by some instinct the wretch did know   
His rider lov’d not speed, being made from thee:   
The bloody spur cannot provoke him on   
That sometimes anger thrusts into his hide,     10
Which heavily he answers with a groan   
More sharp to me than spurring to his side;   
  For that same groan doth put this in my mind:   
  My grief lies onward, and my joy behind.   

Sonnet LI.

“Thus can my love excuse the slow offence”

THUS can my love excuse the slow offence   
Of my dull bearer when from thee I speed:   
From where thou art why should I haste me thence?   
Till I return, of posting is no need.   
O! what excuse will my poor beast then find,            5
When swift extremity can seem but slow?   
Then should I spur, though mounted on the wind,   
In winged speed no motion shall I know:   
Then can no horse with my desire keep pace;   
Therefore desire, of perfect’st love being made,     10
Shall neigh—no dull flesh—in his fiery race;   
But love, for love, thus shall excuse my jade,—   
  ‘Since from thee going he went wilful-slow,   
  Towards thee I ’ll run, and give him leave to go.’   

Sonnet LII.

“So am I as the rich, whose blessed key”

SO am I as the rich, whose blessed key   
Can bring him to his sweet up-locked treasure,   
The which he will not every hour survey,   
For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure.   
Therefore are feasts so solemn and so rare,            5
Since, seldom coming, in that long year set,   
Like stones of worth they thinly placed are,   
Or captain jewels in the carconet.   
So is the time that keeps you as my chest,   
Or as the wardrobe which the robe doth hide,     10
To make some special instant special blest   
By new unfolding his imprison’d pride.   
  Blessed are you, whose worthiness gives scope,   
  Being had, to triumph; being lack’d, to hope.   

Sonnet LIII.

“What is your substance, whereof are you made”

WHAT is your substance, whereof are you made   
That millions of strange shadows on you tend?   
Since every one hath, every one, one shade,   
And you, but one, can every shadow lend.   
Describe Adonis, and the counterfeit            5
Is poorly imitated after you;   
On Helen’s cheek all art of beauty set,   
And you in Grecian tires are painted new:   
Speak of the spring and foison of the year,   
The one doth shadow of your beauty show,     10
The other as your bounty doth appear;   
And you in every blessed shape we know.   
  In all external grace you have some part,   
  But you like none, none you, for constant heart.   

Sonnet LIV.

“O! how much more doth beauty beauteous seem”

O! HOW much more doth beauty beauteous seem   
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give!   
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem   
For that sweet odour which doth in it live.   
The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye            5
As the perfumed tincture of the roses,   
Hang on such thorns, and play as wantonly   
When summer’s breath their masked buds discloses:   
But, for their virtue only is their show,   
They live unwoo’d, and unrespected fade;     10
Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;   
Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odours made:   
  And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,   
  When that shall vade, by verse distils your truth.   

Sonnet LV.

“Not marble, nor the gilded monuments”

NOT marble, nor the gilded monuments   
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rime;   
But you shall shine more bright in these contents   
Than unswept stone, besmear’d with sluttish time.   
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,            5
And broils root out the work of masonry,   
Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn   
The living record of your memory.   
’Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity   
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room     10
Even in the eyes of all posterity   
That wear this world out to the ending doom.   
  So, till the judgment that yourself arise,   
  You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.