233 note reputation
234 late recently (before becoming a nun)
her … court the noble courtiers who wooed her
235 rarest havings splendid qualities/precious belongings
blossoms i.e. courtiers in the prime of life
dote become infatuated
236 richest coat highest birth (coat of arms)/finest clothing
237 cold aloof/chaste
remove withdraw
238 living lifetime
eternal love the love of God
239 what labour is’t i.e. it is not very hard
240 not strives offers no resistance
241 Paling enclosing, fencing off
the place i.e. the heart/the body (specifically, the vagina)
form image, stamp, impression/lover’s body (specifically, penis)
242 Playing … gyves pretending to be patient while in voluntary shackles
243 her … contrives devises a reputation (for virtue) for herself
247 accident event
249 cloister convent
250 Religious love i.e. devotion to me
251 Not … procured previously she wished to be shut up from temptation, but now, in order to tempt everyone (or try everything), she has procured liberty
255 fountains springs, sources suggestive of “baptism”
257 strong victorious
258 for due to
congest bring together
259 compound combined
physic cure
260 parts qualities/ physical features
262 they t’assail begun my parts began to attack/her eyes began to assault her with images of me
263 consecrations religious dedications
264 potential powerful
265 sting strength/harsh consequences
confine boundary, limit
267 impressest conscript into (military) service/stamp, make an impression
precepts rules, injunctions
270 filial fear a child’s fear of disobeying a parent
fame reputation
271 are peace, gainst i.e. subdue the antagonism of
bears brings with it
273 aloes bitterness
forces acts of force
shocks clashes of troops
275 bleeding groans each sigh was thought to cost the heart a drop of blood
280 troth good faith
278 Lending … troth i.e. giving their support to my courtship of you and trusting the strong vow I make, an oath that shall advance and guarantee my faith
281 dismount lower
284 brinish salty
apace swiftly
285 channel i.e. cheek
286 Who which (i.e. the stream)
gate barrier
290 inundation flood
291 wear be worn down, erode
293 cleft divided
wrath ardor, passion
294 extincture extinction
295 art of craft skillful deceit
296 resolved dissolved (plays on the sense of “determined”)
297 stole robe/priest’s vestment
daffed took off, threw aside
298 guards defenses
civil fears decorous scruples
302 subtle crafty
303 cautels tricks, crafty devices
all … receives assumes a variety of different forms
305 takes … deceives chooses between them, depending on which is better able to deceive
307 rank coarse
309 level aim, sights
311 Showing … tame demonstrating that a good disposition is both kind and compliant (or possibly “([his aim being to] give the appearance of a kind and gentle nature”)
312 them i.e. his various pretenses, feigned emotions (or possibly “kindness and gentleness”)
313 Against … exclaim he would denounce what he really wanted
314 luxury lust
316 merely entirely/only
grace virtue
318 th’unexperient the inexperienced
319 Which he who
cherubin guardian angel
320 simple inexperienced
lovered provided with a lover
321 fell succumbed sexually
322 such a sake the sake of someone like him
326 spongy i.e. capable of squeezing out sighs
owed owned
327 motion emotion
seeming owed apparently truly his
328 the fore-betrayed one already betrayed
329 reconcilèd reformed, repentant
The Sonnets and Other Poems Page 37