Sonnet 129

Sonnet|129
The expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action: and till action, lust
Is perjur'd, murderous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;
Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight;
Past reason hunted; and no sooner had,
Past reason hated, as a swallow'd bait,
On purpose laid to make the taker mad:
Mad in pursuit and in possession so;
Had, having, and in quest, to have extreme;
A bliss in proof,— and prov'd, a very woe;
Before, a joy propos'd; behind a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

Analysis

Shakespeare's 129th sonnet describes the mental conflict one often undergoes after having acted out desire. This may be guilt and shame felt by the young man, a reccurring character in Shakespeare's sonnets, for lusting after the dark lady (see main article). The first quatrain illustrates the temptation offered by lust, and how if committed, you can never escape it, but if resisted, the thought will cloud one's mind, tormenting it like a cruel child torments an ant with a magnifying glass.

External links

* [http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/129.html www.shakespeare-online.com]