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Shakespeare's Sonnets - Sonnet 152

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Shakespeare's Sonnets - Sonnet 152
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Sonnet 152

152

Synopsis:

The poet turns his accusations against the woman’s inconstancy and oath-breaking against himself, accusing himself of deliberate blindness and perjury.

 
In loving thee thou know’st I am forsworn,
But thou art twice forsworn, to me love swearing;
In act thy bed-vow broke, and new faith torn
4In vowing new hate after new love bearing.
But why of two oaths’ breach do I accuse thee
When I break twenty? I am perjured most,
For all my vows are oaths but to misuse thee,
8And all my honest faith in thee is lost.
For I have sworn deep oaths of thy deep kindness,
Oaths of thy love, thy truth, thy constancy;
And to enlighten thee gave eyes to blindness,
12Or made them swear against the thing they see.
 For I have sworn thee fair; more perjured eye,
 To swear against the truth so foul a lie.