Return to Shakespeare's Sonnet 20 |
1.
with Nature's own hand painted: In Shakespeare's time, the word for cosmetics was "paint"; here the poet is emphasizing the beautiful natural color of the young man, in contrast to the color of the paint that women use.
2.
passion: 1) strong feeling, love; 2) expression of passion, love poem.
5.
rolling: roving.
7.
hue: color, form, appearance. all hues in his controlling: i.e., being the epitome of beauty.
10.
fell a-doting: 1) fell in love; 2) became foolish.
11.
addition What was added to the young man's form is strongly hinted at by the pun in line 13. me of thee defeated: deprived me of you.
12.
to my purpose nothing: i.e., of no use to me.
13.
prick'd thee out: marked you out (with a sexual pun). In the days before pencils, selections in a list would be recorded by pricking (making small holes in) the paper.