Sonnet 129: Th’ Expense Of Spirit In A Waste Of Shame
The expense of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action: and till action, lust
Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;
Enjoyed no sooner but despised straight;
Past reason hunted; and no sooner had,
Past reason hated, as a swallowed 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 proved, a very woe;
Before, a joy proposed; behind a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.
Sonnet Line 1:
“The expense of spirit in a waste of shame”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Expense of spirit: The depletion of vital energy or emotional strength.
- Waste of shame: A state of disgrace or moral degradation.
Explanation:
The speaker begins by describing lust as a costly depletion of one’s spirit, leading to a state of shame and moral degradation. This line introduces the central theme of the sonnet, which is the destructive and self-defeating nature of lust. The tone is critical, setting the stage for a harsh condemnation of lust and its consequences.
Sonnet Line 2:
“Is lust in action: and till action, lust”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Lust in action: Lust when acted upon.
- Till action: Before it is acted upon.
Explanation:
The speaker defines lust as a destructive force when acted upon, but also suggests that even before action, lust is inherently harmful. This line emphasizes the duality of lust—its destructive nature both in thought and deed. The tone is analytical, highlighting the speaker’s focus on the moral and psychological implications of lust.
Sonnet Line 3:
“Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Perjured: Dishonest or deceitful.
- Murderous: Violent or destructive.
- Bloody: Involving bloodshed or cruelty.
- Full of blame: Deserving of condemnation.
Explanation:
The speaker describes lust as deceitful, violent, cruel, and deserving of blame. This line underscores the moral corruption associated with lust, portraying it as a force that leads to harm and suffering. The tone is accusatory, emphasizing the speaker’s condemnation of lust.
Sonnet Line 4:
“Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Savage: Wild or untamed.
- Extreme: Excessive or intense.
- Rude: Harsh or unrefined.
- Not to trust: Unreliable or dangerous.
Explanation:
The speaker continues to characterize lust as wild, excessive, harsh, and untrustworthy. This line reinforces the idea that lust is a destructive and uncontrollable force, leading to negative outcomes. The tone is critical, underscoring the speaker’s disdain for lust.
Sonnet Line 5:
“Enjoyed no sooner but despised straight;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Enjoyed no sooner: As soon as it is enjoyed.
- Despised straight: Immediately hated or regretted.
Explanation:
The speaker observes that lust, once satisfied, is immediately followed by feelings of regret and self-loathing. This line highlights the fleeting and unsatisfying nature of lust, which brings no lasting fulfillment. The tone is reflective, emphasizing the speaker’s understanding of the psychological consequences of lust.
Sonnet Line 6:
“Past reason hunted; and no sooner had,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Past reason hunted: Pursued beyond rational thought.
- No sooner had: As soon as it is obtained.
Explanation:
The speaker describes lust as something pursued irrationally, driven by uncontrollable desire. However, once obtained, it loses its appeal. This line underscores the irrational and self-defeating nature of lust. The tone is critical, highlighting the speaker’s condemnation of such behavior.
Sonnet Line 7:
“Past reason hated, as a swallowed bait,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Past reason hated: Hated beyond rational thought.
- Swallowed bait: A trap or deception.
Explanation:
The speaker compares lust to a trap or deception that, once fallen into, is hated beyond reason. This line emphasizes the idea that lust is a form of self-deception, leading to regret and disillusionment. The tone is metaphorical, underscoring the speaker’s critique of lust.
Sonnet Line 8:
“On purpose laid to make the taker mad.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- On purpose laid: Deliberately set.
- Make the taker mad: Drive the person to madness.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that lust is like a trap deliberately set to drive the person who falls into it to madness. This line reinforces the idea that lust is a destructive and irrational force, leading to psychological turmoil. The tone is accusatory, emphasizing the speaker’s condemnation of lust.
Sonnet Line 9:
“Mad in pursuit and in possession so;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Mad in pursuit: Irrational in the chase.
- In possession so: Equally irrational once obtained.
Explanation:
The speaker describes lust as driving people to madness both in the pursuit and in the possession of its object. This line underscores the irrational and destructive nature of lust, which consumes the individual at every stage. The tone is critical, highlighting the speaker’s disdain for lust.
Sonnet Line 10:
“Had, having, and in quest to have extreme;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Had: After obtaining.
- Having: While possessing.
- In quest to have: While pursuing.
- Extreme: Excessive or intense.
Explanation:
The speaker observes that lust is characterized by extreme behavior at every stage—before, during, and after its fulfillment. This line emphasizes the all-consuming and irrational nature of lust, which dominates the individual’s thoughts and actions. The tone is analytical, underscoring the speaker’s critique of lust.
Sonnet Line 11:
“A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Bliss in proof: Pleasure in the experience.
- Proved, a very woe: Once experienced, a source of misery.
Explanation:
The speaker notes that lust may seem pleasurable in the moment, but once experienced, it becomes a source of misery. This line highlights the fleeting and deceptive nature of lust, which promises pleasure but delivers pain. The tone is reflective, emphasizing the speaker’s understanding of the consequences of lust.
Sonnet Line 12:
“Before, a joy proposed; behind a dream.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Before: In anticipation.
- Joy proposed: Promised happiness.
- Behind a dream: Afterward, an illusion.
Explanation:
The speaker describes lust as offering the promise of joy in anticipation, but afterward, it is revealed to be an illusion. This line underscores the deceptive nature of lust, which fails to deliver lasting fulfillment. The tone is disillusioned, emphasizing the speaker’s critique of lust.
Sonnet Line 13:
“All this the world well knows; yet none knows well”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- All this: The nature of lust.
- Well knows: Is fully aware of.
- None knows well: No one truly understands.
Explanation:
The speaker observes that while the destructive nature of lust is widely recognized, no one truly understands how to avoid its temptations. This line highlights the universal struggle with lust and the difficulty of resisting its allure. The tone is resigned, emphasizing the speaker’s acknowledgment of human weakness.
Sonnet Line 14:
“To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Shun: Avoid or reject.
- Heaven: The initial allure or promise of pleasure.
- Leads men to this hell: Results in suffering and regret.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes that the initial allure of lust, which seems like “heaven,” ultimately leads to suffering and regret, described as “hell.” This line encapsulates the central theme of the sonnet, emphasizing the deceptive and destructive nature of lust. The tone is cautionary, underscoring the speaker’s warning against the dangers of lust.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 129
Summary
Sonnet 129 is one of Shakespeare’s most powerful and intense reflections on the nature of lust. The speaker describes lust as a destructive and shameful force, portraying it as an uncontrollable impulse that leads to inevitable regret.
The poem begins by equating lust to the “expense of spirit in a waste of shame,” suggesting that the act of indulging in desire leads to moral and emotional depletion. Before it is fulfilled, lust is deceitful, violent, and untrustworthy. When pursued, it drives people to madness, and once satisfied, it immediately turns into regret and disgust. The speaker emphasizes that lust is irrational—people hunt for it without reason, and once they attain it, they loathe it. He compares it to a baited trap, designed to ensnare those who fall into it.
The second half of the sonnet explores the cyclical nature of lust. It is both madness in pursuit and madness in possession—an endless cycle of longing, indulgence, and regret. What seems like bliss during the act quickly transforms into sorrow afterward. It is an illusion, a fleeting dream that leaves the participant disillusioned.
The concluding couplet delivers a final, damning observation: the entire world understands the destructive power of lust, yet no one is wise enough to resist its temptation. The contrast between knowing and acting upon that knowledge highlights the tragic irony of human desire.
Critical Analysis
Sonnet 129 is unique among Shakespeare’s sonnets for its raw, almost brutal depiction of lust as a self-destructive force. Unlike earlier sonnets that explore romantic or idealized love, this poem presents desire as something animalistic and shameful.
The tone is urgent and accusatory, as if the speaker is condemning both himself and humanity as a whole for being trapped in an endless cycle of irrational lust. The poem lacks the careful, balanced arguments found in many of Shakespeare’s other works—here, the lines tumble forward in a chaotic, almost breathless manner, reflecting the uncontrollable nature of desire itself.
One of the key themes in the poem is the illusion of pleasure. Before the act, lust seems enticing and irresistible; during the act, it feels like bliss; but immediately afterward, it brings regret and emptiness. This aligns with Renaissance and religious views of carnal desire as sinful and destructive, yet also acknowledges the paradox that, despite knowing this, people continue to pursue it.
Another striking aspect of Sonnet 129 is its lack of specific addressees. Unlike other sonnets directed at the Fair Youth or the Dark Lady, this poem is more universal. It does not speak to a particular lover but instead presents a generalized, almost philosophical meditation on human nature. This makes it one of the most brutally honest and timeless sonnets in the collection.
Structurally, the poem is relentless. There are no pauses or breaks to reflect; instead, the speaker hurls accusation after accusation, mimicking the uncontrollable force of lust itself. The chaotic rhythm reflects the frenzied state of mind associated with desire—first longing, then indulgence, then regret.
The final couplet is particularly damning. It suggests that knowledge alone is not enough to stop people from pursuing lust. This adds a layer of tragic inevitability—humans are doomed to repeat the same mistakes despite their awareness of the consequences.
Theme Analysis
- Lust as a Destructive Force
- The poem presents lust as something inherently violent, deceptive, and regretful. It consumes the spirit and leaves behind shame.
- The Cycle of Desire and Regret
- The sonnet emphasizes how lust is an endless cycle: it is desired before the act, disappointing in hindsight, and yet always pursued again.
- The Deception of Pleasure
- Lust is shown as an illusion—it promises happiness but delivers misery. This aligns with moral and religious ideas about the fleeting nature of carnal pleasure.
- The Irrationality of Human Nature
- The closing couplet suggests that even though people understand the dangers of lust, they are still powerless to resist it. Knowledge does not equate to wisdom or self-control.
- The Contrast Between Heaven and Hell
- The final lines compare lust to a false heaven that leads to hell. This religious imagery reinforces the moral consequences of indulgence.
Literary Devices
- Metaphor
- “The expense of spirit in a waste of shame” → Lust is depicted as a loss of one’s spiritual essence, emphasizing its depleting nature.
- “A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe” → What seems like bliss in the moment becomes misery afterward.
- Antithesis (Contrasting Ideas)
- “Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme” → The contrast between wanting something, possessing it, and desiring it again highlights the madness of lust.
- “Before, a joy proposed; behind a dream” → The contrast between expectation and reality emphasizes how desire deceives.
- Enjambment and Rapid Pace
- The poem flows almost breathlessly, mimicking the uncontrollable, frenzied nature of lust.
- The lack of clear pauses reflects the relentless cycle of desire and regret.
- Alliteration
- “Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust” → The repetition of harsh consonants mimics the aggressive nature of lust.
- “Mad in pursuit and in possession so” → The repeated “p” sound emphasizes the chaotic pursuit of desire.
- Paradox
- “All this the world well knows; yet none knows well” → Everyone understands lust’s dangers, yet no one truly knows how to avoid them. This contradiction underscores human weakness.
- Religious Imagery
- “Heaven” and “hell” in the final line emphasize the moral and spiritual consequences of giving in to desire. The contrast suggests that lust presents itself as something divine but ultimately leads to damnation.
Conclusion
Sonnet 129 is one of the most intense and psychologically penetrating poems in Shakespeare’s collection. It presents lust not as an expression of love, but as a force that deceives, consumes, and ultimately destroys. The poem’s relentless rhythm, harsh language, and ironic conclusion reinforce the idea that humans are doomed to repeat the same mistakes, even when they fully understand the consequences.
Unlike the romanticized love in earlier sonnets, this poem is unfiltered in its critique of desire. It strips away the illusions of romance, leaving behind only the raw, painful truth: lust is an irrational, self-destructive cycle from which there is no escape. The final couplet delivers a haunting universal truth—everyone knows the dangers of lust, yet no one can resist its allure. This tragic inevitability makes Sonnet 129 one of the most powerful and timeless works in the entire sequence.
