Return to Shakespeare's Sonnet 100 |
1.
Muse: a guiding spirit; source of inspiration.
3.
fury: poetic inspiration.
4.
darkening: debasing. base: lowly; immoral; undeserving.
5.
straight: immediately; at once.
6.
gentle numbers: noble verses.
7.
lays: short lyric or narrative poems intended to be sung; songs.
8.
argument: subject matter.
9.
resty: lazy; inactive; inert.
10.
If: i.e., to see if.
11.
If any, be a satire to decay: i.e., If you find any wrinkles, be one who rebukes the ruins of time. satire: satirist.
12.
spoils: ravages.
14.
So thou prevent'st: so you will frustrate; so you will forestall. crooked knife: sickle. Both the scythe and sickle were used to cut wheat, hay, etc.
Father Time and Scythe |
Saturn Bearing a Sickle |