William Shakespeare, Sonnet cxiii
Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind;
And that which governs me to go about
Doth part his function, and is partly blind,
4
Seems seeing, but effectually is out;
For it no form delivers to the heart
Of bird, of flower, or shape, which it doth latch; [*]
Of his quick objects hath the mind no part,
8
Nor his own vision holds what it doth catch;
For if it see the rud'st or gentlest sight,
The mountain or the sea, the day or night,
12
The crow, or dove, it shapes them to your feature.
Incapable of more, replete with you,
My most true mind thus maketh mine untrue. [*]
Notes
line 6: Latch. The original has lack. Malone substituted latch, which signifies to lay hold of. [ Back to text ]
line 10: Favour -- countenance. [ Back to text ]
line 14: Untrue is here used as a substantive. So in Measure for Measure --
Say what you can, my false outweighs your true.[ Back to text ]
Most notes to Shakespeare's sonnets are from Charles Knight's edition, but those in square brackets are mine.