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  Sunday, 15 April 2007
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SONNET # 152.

The original language.....

01. In louing thee thou know'st I am forsworne,
02. But thou art twice forsworne to me loue swearing,
03. In act thy bed-vow broake and new faith torne,
04. In vowing new hate after new loue bearing:
05. But why of two othes breach doe I accuse thee,
06. When I breake twenty:I am periur'd most,
07. For all my vowes are othes but to misuse thee:
08. And all my honest faith in thee is lost.
09. For I haue sworne deepe othes of thy deepe kindnesse:
10. Othes of thy loue,thy truth,thy constancie,
11. And to inlighten thee gaue eyes to blindnesse,
12. Or made them swere against the thing they see.
13. For I haue sworne thee faire:more periurde eye,
14. To swere against the truth fo foule a lie.
~~~~~~~

This is far more credibly a Dark Lady Sonnet than Sonnet 151 is.  The
"false eyes," "foulness," and "untruth" ideas connect well, back to
the earlier DL Sonnets.

If it is DL, however, it should be earlier in the series.  It's too
mild for such a late placement, after he's earlier mentioned her
"foulness" more emphatically, and earlier said how she drives him
"mad."  His emotion here is pre- that 'madness', not post-.

A DL Sonnet, perhaps, but printed out of its proper order.

One possible paraphrase.....

-=-=-=-

1. In loving you, you know I'm "perjured,"

2. But you commit "perjury" twice over when
        you swear love to me;

3. In your actions, you've broken your marriage
        vow, and broken faith with your husband,

4. After "bearing" new love, you've "vowed" new hate.

5. But why am I accusing you of breaking two oaths,

6. When I've broken twenty?  I'm the worse "perjurer,"

7. Because I've sworn all my oaths, only to misuse you,

8. And I've given up all my honest faith in you.

9. For, I've sworn deep oaths that you're deeply kind,

10. Oaths about your love, your truth, and your constancy,

11. And to "lighten" you I've made my eyes "blind,"

12. Or made my eyes deny what they truly see.

13.     Yes, I've sworn you're fair, so more perjured am I.

14.     Who has sworn, against the truth, so foul a lie.

=-=-=-=

"Eye" at the end of L 13 in the original is a pun, of course.

Line 3 looks, at least at first glance, as if she's married, and unfaithful to her husband.
16 years ago
·
#1725
End of line 13: 'eye' why is it a pun 'of course' ?

What if there is no pun?
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