Sonnet 129 paraphrase

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Sonnet 129 pdf

In this poem, the speaker takes a severe approach to the topic, deriding lust as bad in thought, action, and reflection. The poem does not focus upon a particular person or relationship, instead functioning more as a general admonishment or piece of advice for readers. The speaker makes his position clear right away with harsh diction to describe lust.

This positions the poem from a male perspective , and the rest of the sonnet can be read as an admonishment of male lust for women. The speaker is arguing that such pursuits are unbecoming of men and do nothing but lead them to bad things.

Sonnet 129 line by line analysis

Given the context of the poem within the beginning of the Dark Lady sonnet sequence, this might point to the poem being an attempt at self-reflection, self-restraint, and self-admonishment for the speaker himself. Get access to this full Study Guide and much more! The poem has a bitter and cynical perspective on lust, especially considering the way the speaker compares lust to a trap.

In the second quatrain , he introduces the simile of an animal who lusts after bait only to regret biting it after realizing it has been caught Line 7. This, to the speaker, is the same way lust works: It causes the lover to lose his reason and behave in a way contrary to his own self-interest. The use of these devices is strongest in the second and third quatrains, as demonstrated by the line-by-line analysis below:.

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