Notes for Shakespeare's Sonnet 59


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Shakespeare's
Sonnet
59

3-4. labouring for invention: 1) toiling for originality; 2) giving birth to a new idea.  bear amiss / The second burden of a former child: i.e., unintentionally reformulate a previous literary work.

5. record: memory, history.

6. five hundred courses of the sun: five hundred years.

8. Since mind at first in character was done: i.e. Since thought was first recorded in writing.

10. composed wonder: wonderful composition.

11. mended: improved.  whe'r: whether.

12. revolution be the same: i.e. the change of times makes no difference.

14. worse: less deserving.