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Then Hate Me When Thou Wilt
A lonely figure endures the rain on Tatham fells, near Bentham, Lancashire.
A solitary figure beneath an umbrella on a wet day in the Tatham Fells, just south of Bentham in Lancashire, gazing towards rainclouds looming over Ingleborough. Few doubt that Shakespeare wrote most, if not all, of the sonnets published under his name in 1609. There is however some doubt as to whether he had any hand in making the collection, or constructing the narrative frame into which the sonnets were been placed — though it must be admitted that it is both clever and compelling.
Back to text
A solitary figure beneath an umbrella on a wet day in the Tatham Fells, just south of Bentham in Lancashire, gazing towards rainclouds looming over Ingleborough. Few doubt that Shakespeare wrote most, if not all, of the sonnets published under his name in 1609. There is however some doubt as to whether he had any hand in making the collection, or constructing the narrative frame into which the sonnets were been placed — though it must be admitted that it is both clever and compelling.
Introduction
Sonnet 90 finds the narrator expecting that ‘the fair youth’, a rather worthless young man whom he nevertheless idolises, is going to drop the acquaintance. His only concern is to make his thoughtless friend understand that, given the other pressures the poet is under right now, if it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.
Then hate me when thou wilt;* if ever, now;
Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,
And do not drop in for an after-loss:
Ah! do not, when my heart hath ’scap’d this sorrow,
Come in the rearward of a conquer’d woe;
Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,
To linger out a purpos’d overthrow.
If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,
When other petty griefs have done their spite,
But in the onset come: so shall I taste
At first the very worst of fortune’s might;
And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,
Compar’d with loss of thee, will not seem so.
* In the collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets published in 1609 (it is not known whether Shakespeare had a hand in it) these lines appear to be addressed to the ‘fair youth’ introduced to us in Sonnet 1. We are asked to imagine that these sonnets are written by a middle-aged and somewhat emotionally insecure poet who craves this young man’s love and attention. He will eventually see through him.
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
In this sonnet, the poet is expecting his friend ‘the fair youth’ to drop their acquaintance. Life is already treating him badly, he says, and if his friend waits to break the bad news, it will add to his burdens; whereas if the break comes now, his other troubles will afterwards seem all the lighter by comparison. (57 / 60 words)
In this sonnet, the poet is expecting his friend ‘the fair youth’ to drop their acquaintance. Life is already treating him badly, he says, and if his friend waits to break the bad news, it will add to his burdens; whereas if the break comes now, his other troubles will afterwards seem all the lighter by comparison.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, besides, must, or, otherwise, ought, unless.
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Morrow. Not. Windy.
2 Bend. Strain. Very.
3 Last. Seem. Thou.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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