Shakespeare's Sonnets Navigator Summary of Sonnet 46 in the Table of Contents Notes for Sonnet 46

Shakespeare's Sonnet 46


  1    Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war
  2    How to divide the conquest of thy sight;
  3    Mine eye my heart thy picture's sight would bar,
  4    My heart mine eye the freedom of that right.
  5    My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie—
  6    A closet never pierced with crystal eyes—
  7    But the defendant doth that plea deny
  8    And says in him thy fair appearance lies.
  9    To 'cide this title is impanneled
 10    A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart,
 11    And by their verdict is determined
 12    The clear eye's moiety and the dear heart's part:
 13      As thus: mine eye's due is thy outward part,
 14      And my heart's right thy inward love of heart.

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