Sunday 14 March 2010

Shakespeare's Sonnet Sunday: Sonnet 10

For shame deny that thou bear'st love to any,
Who for thy self art so unprovident.
Grant, if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many,
But that thou none lov'st is most evident:
For thou art so possessed with murderous hate,
That 'gainst thy self thou stick'st not to conspire,
Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate
Which to repair should be thy chief desire.
O! change thy thought, that I may change my mind:
Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?
Be, as thy presence is, gracious and kind,
Or to thyself at least kind-hearted prove:
Make thee another self for love of me,
That beauty still may live in thine or thee.

This is a continuation of Sonnet 9 in a sense...
1) Shame on you that you don't love any
2) Because really you are not looking towards your own future.
3) Though you are loved by many,
4) It is clear that you don't love any.
5) You have such a desire not to have children
6) It is only against yourself that you are ruining
7) You will ruin that family line
8) But it should be most important to keep it going.
9) Change your attitude so that I will change my view of you.
10) Will hate win out rather than love?
11) Be as you profess to be: gracious and kind.
12) Or at least be kind to yourself.
13) Make offspring, if not for yourself, do it for me.
14) That beauty (both in attitude and in offspring) may continue in you.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Awesome! I love how you broke it down like that... beautiful!!!

JournoMich said...

I think it's hard to read the sonnets individually because they are part of a larger picture. I remember studying how some were written to a young man Shakespeare (may have) loved, and the others to the woman he loved instead of Shakespeare.

That being said, you did a great job of breaking this one down. Thank you for taking the time to share it with us.
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries

Mason Canyon said...

Always enjoy your version of the sonnet.

Talli Roland said...

Oh, Shakespeare, how I love him. Thanks for sharing your version!

V said...

Damn! I so want to read the classics but i just dont find the leisure to enjoy and savour them word by word :(