Sonnet 129 Th expense of spirit in a waste of shame

Th' expense of spirit in a waste of

Is lust in action; and till action,

Is perjur'd, murd'rous, bloody, full of blame,

Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;

Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight;

Past reason hunted; and, no sooner had,

Past reason hated, as a swallow'd bait,

On purpose laid to make the taker mad:

Mad in pursuit, and in possession so;

Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;

A bliss in proof, and prov'd, a very woe;

Before, a joy propos'd; behind, a dream.   All this the world well knows; yet none knows well   To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.

Form: sonnet: ababcdcdefefgg1-2.

Th' expense ... action.

The meaning will appear clearly if lust in action is regarded as the subject.

Note the pun on "
waste"/"
waist." expense: expenditure.

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