“Sonnet 129” (1609) is a traditional English sonnet by poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Part of the “Dark Lady” movement of sonnets, this poem uses the format typical of all of Shakespeare’s sonnets, containing 14 lines in iambic pentameter with three quatrains and a concluding couplet. “Sonnet 129” focuses on the experience of sexual lust, with the poem warning against its power. The speaker describes the dangers of lust and the feelings of guilt and shame that come after lust is acted upon. However, he concludes that this cycle of lusting— fulfilling lust, regretting lust, then lusting again—is inevitable and cannot be helped, despite people fully understanding it and trying to avoid it. He concludes the poem by comparing the fulfillment of lust to experiencing heaven and then descending into hell. The poem has been the subject of extensive analysis and discussion, making it one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets.

Poet Biography

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. Shakespeare’s father was a glove maker, and his mother was born into a notable, wealthy family. Shakespeare was one of eight children, though a number of his siblings died young. Though not much is known about Shakespeare’s childhood, he did attend school and would have enjoyed a relatively comfortable life for the time.

The only other known aspect of Shakespeare’s life before he became a famous playwright is his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582. The couple had three children: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. At some point between 1582 and 1592, Shakespeare and Hathaway moved to London, where he began his career as an actor and a playwright.

By 1592, Shakespeare’s plays were being performed in London. Shakespeare was a well-known writer and actor by this point, and the success of his company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, led to the construction of their own playhouse, The Globe, in 1599. Shortly after this, Shakespeare’s company would become the players for King James, and they changed their name to The King’s Men. The Globe eventually burned down during a performance in 1613, but it was rebuilt shortly after in 1614. However, Shakespeare was largely retired by this point, and he would die just two years later.

Shakespeare’s plays were popular in his day. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and histories. While his sonnets were well known, his plays proved to be much more popular for hundreds of years. The sonnets would only earn a considerably higher literary reputation closer to the twentieth century.

Shakespeare died in 1616 from unknown causes. His reputation as a writer increased in death: His plays became the most performed in the world and he became one of the most respected and renowned of all writers in the English language. In particular, Shakespeare’s big tragedies—Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear—are often regarded as his greatest achievements. Today, Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are staples of English curriculums from middle school to college.

Poem Text

Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 129” 1609. Poetry Foundation.

Summary

“Sonnet 129” opens with the declaration that lust that leads to sex is a shameful expense. However, he then pivots to the time before the consummation of lust, saying that when a person feels lust, they exhibit many negative qualities and perform a number of bad actions, including lying, violence, mistrust, lack of civility, and a breakdown in common decency.

The second quatrain claims that as soon as lust is enjoyed through sexual consummation, it is immediately despised and regretted. Shakespeare then compares this feeling to a fish that falls for the trap of a fisherman’s bait. He says fish bait is used to make the fish lose all reason as it sees food for the taking, but then upon taking the food, the fish hates itself for falling for the trap.

Shakespeare then says that the pursuit of lust, the taking of lust, and the fallout of lust are all the same: They are all extreme. The entire experience of lust is unsatisfying. It is all a deception. While the feeling of lust may feel like bliss, the fulfillment of lust quickly becomes a woe (Line 11). Likewise, while lust may feel like something to desire, once it is fulfilled the memory of it is nothing but a dream.

In the final couplet, Shakespeare concludes that this information about lust is well-known by all. Despite this, people are still powerless to fight against it, and they continue to lust and to succumb to their lust. Shakespeare ends the poem with the idea that men will never learn how to “shun the heaven” that ultimately leads them “to this hell” (Line 14).