This is a short summary of Shakespeare sonnet 135. Continue reading for complete analysis and meaning in the modern text. For the complete list of 154 sonnets, check the collection of Shakespeare Sonnets with analysis. It is highly recommended to buy “The Monument” by Hank Whittemore, which is the best book on Shakespeare Sonnets.
Shakespeare Sonnet 135 (Original Text)
Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,And Will to boot, and Will in overplus;More than enough am I, that vex thee still,To thy sweet will making addition thus.Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?Shall will in others seem right gracious,And in my will no fair acceptance shine?The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,And in abundance addeth to his store;So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy WillOne will of mine, to make thy large Will more.Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill;Think all but one, and me in that one Will.–WIKI
Shakespeare Sonnet 135 Modern Text (Translation)
-via SparkNotes
Shakespeare Sonnet 135 Analysis
The poet addresses his mistress saying that regardless of what other women may have to satisfy their physical craving, “Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,” his mistress has more than she needs “And Will to boot, and Will in overplus; “He says that even though he constantly pleads with her, he is still enough to satisfy her sexually “More than enough am I, that vex thee still,” and that he is also an addition to the men who are attracted to her desires “To thy sweet will making addition thus.”
He requests her saying that since she has such a huge appetite for physical pleasure, “Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,” then won’t she agree to sleep with him (the poet) also once? “Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?” he questions why she does she physically prefer other men “Shall will in others seem right gracious” and keep rejecting him physically “And in my will no fair acceptance shine?”
He gives an example of the sea that is full of water yet still accepts rain “The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,” where regardless of how much rain falls, the sea adds to its stock of water “And in abundance addeth to his store; similarly since she has so many men to satisfy her physically, she can add to that count “So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy Will” by accepting him and adding him to her group of sexual partners which will increase her own appetite. “One will of mine, to make thy large Will more.”
He tells her not to hurt anyone who desires her and she should not deny them “Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill” as all men’s penises (will) are the same and thus he should also be allowed to sleep with her.