Sonnet 151: Love Is Too Young To Know What Conscience Is
Love is too young to know what conscience is,
Yet who knows not conscience is born of love?
Then, gentle cheater, urge not my amiss,
Lest guilty of my faults thy sweet self prove:
For, thou betraying me, I do betray
My nobler part to my gross body’s treason;
My soul doth tell my body that he may
Triumph in love; flesh stays no farther reason,
But rising at thy name doth point out thee,
As his triumphant prize. Proud of this pride,
He is contented thy poor drudge to be,
To stand in thy affairs, fall by thy side.
No want of conscience hold it that I call
Her love, for whose dear love I rise and fall.
Line 1:
“Love is too young to know what conscience is,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Conscience: Moral sense or awareness of right and wrong.
Explanation:
The speaker begins by personifying Love as too young to understand conscience, suggesting that love operates beyond moral considerations. This line sets the tone for the sonnet, which explores the conflict between physical desire and moral integrity.
Line 2:
“Yet who knows not conscience is born of love?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Born of love: Originating from love.
Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that conscience arises from love, creating a paradox: love is both too young to know conscience and the source of conscience. This line introduces the theme of the complex relationship between love and morality.
Line 3:
“Then, gentle cheater, urge not my amiss,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Gentle cheater: Kind but deceptive beloved.
- Urge: Accuse or blame.
- Amiss: Wrongdoing or fault.
Explanation:
The speaker asks his beloved not to accuse him of wrongdoing, as her own actions may be equally flawed. This line reflects the mutual guilt and moral ambiguity in their relationship.
Line 4:
“Lest guilty of my faults thy sweet self prove:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Lest: For fear that.
- Prove: Become or show.
Explanation:
The speaker warns his beloved that by accusing him, she may reveal her own guilt. This line emphasizes the shared responsibility and moral complexity of their relationship.
Line 5:
“For, thou betraying me, I do betray”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Betraying: Deceiving or being unfaithful.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that if his beloved betrays him, he in turn betrays his own higher principles. This line highlights the interconnectedness of their actions and the moral consequences.
Line 6:
“My nobler part to my gross body’s treason;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Nobler part: Soul or moral self.
- Gross body: Physical self.
- Treason: Betrayal or disloyalty.
Explanation:
The speaker describes how his soul betrays itself to his body’s desires, emphasizing the conflict between spiritual and physical impulses. This line underscores the theme of internal moral struggle.
Line 7:
“My soul doth tell my body that he may”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Doth: Does (archaic form).
- He: The body.
Explanation:
The speaker personifies his soul as instructing his body that it may pursue physical desires. This line reflects the soul’s complicity in the body’s actions, further complicating the moral conflict.
Line 8:
“Triumph in love; flesh stays no farther reason,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Triumph: Succeed or prevail.
- Flesh: Physical desires.
- Stays no farther reason: Does not seek further justification.
Explanation:
The speaker describes how his body seeks to triumph in love without further moral justification, emphasizing the dominance of physical desire over reason.
Line 9:
“But rising at thy name doth point out thee,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Rising: Becoming aroused or excited.
- Point out thee: Direct attention to you.
Explanation:
The speaker describes how his body reacts to his beloved’s name, directing all attention and desire toward her. This line highlights the power of physical attraction.
Line 10:
“As his triumphant prize. Proud of this pride,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Triumphant prize: Symbol of victory.
- Proud of this pride: Satisfied with this achievement.
Explanation:
The speaker describes his body’s desire for the beloved as a triumphant prize, emphasizing the physical and emotional satisfaction it brings.
Line 11:
“He is contented thy poor drudge to be,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Contented: Satisfied.
- Drudge: Servant or laborer.
Explanation:
The speaker suggests that his body is content to serve the beloved, even in a menial role, highlighting the extent of his physical devotion.
Line 12:
“To stand in thy affairs, fall by thy side.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Stand in thy affairs: Support or assist you.
- Fall by thy side: Fail or suffer with you.
Explanation:
The speaker describes his body’s willingness to support the beloved and share in her struggles, emphasizing his complete physical and emotional commitment.
Line 13:
“No want of conscience hold it that I call”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Want of conscience: Lack of moral awareness.
Explanation:
The speaker asks that his love not be judged as lacking conscience, emphasizing the complexity of his emotions and actions.
Line 14:
“Her love, for whose dear love I rise and fall.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Rise and fall: Succeed and fail, or experience highs and lows.
Explanation:
The speaker concludes by affirming his love for the beloved, despite the moral and emotional complexities it entails. This line encapsulates the sonnet’s theme of the interplay between love, desire, and conscience.
Overall Context and Themes:
Sonnet 151 explores the conflict between physical desire and moral integrity, highlighting the complexities of love and conscience. The speaker acknowledges the power of physical attraction and the moral ambiguities it creates, while also affirming his deep emotional commitment to the beloved. The poem delves into themes of internal struggle, mutual guilt, and the transformative power of love, using vivid imagery and emotional intensity to convey the speaker’s experience.
In-Depth Summary
In Sonnet 151, Shakespeare explores the tension between love, conscience, and physical desire. The speaker begins by stating that love is too young to understand conscience, implying that love operates without moral restraint. However, he immediately contradicts himself, arguing that conscience is born of love—suggesting that true love should come with a sense of moral responsibility.
He then addresses his lover, calling her a “gentle cheater”, and warns her not to judge his moral failings, because if she betrays him, she herself is guilty of similar transgressions. The speaker admits that he betrays his own nobler nature (his soul) in favor of his bodily desires, allowing his physical instincts to overpower his conscience.
In the central part of the sonnet, he describes how his body, acting independently of reason, reacts physically to his lover. His flesh rises at the mention of her name, suggesting an explicit sexual arousal. He refers to his body as a “proud drudge”, meaning it willingly submits to his lover’s control, rising and falling according to her will.
The sonnet concludes with a play on rising and falling, implying both the speaker’s emotional dependence on his mistress and his sexual excitement. He justifies his lust, arguing that his bodily reactions are not a lack of conscience, but rather an act of devotion to love.
Critical Analysis
This is one of Shakespeare’s most explicitly sexual sonnets, breaking away from the more refined and idealized portrayals of love in earlier poems. The sonnet is raw, unapologetic, and dominated by the struggle between soul and body, between love as an emotional force and love as a physical compulsion.
The tone is both playful and serious, as the speaker tries to excuse his sexual desire by arguing that it is a natural extension of love. He initially attempts to justify his passion through philosophy and morality, but ultimately succumbs to physical instinct.
One of the most striking aspects of this sonnet is its reversal of traditional morality. Instead of viewing the body as a base and sinful entity, the speaker celebrates bodily desire, portraying it as an inevitable and even honorable consequence of love.
The final couplet is a bold assertion of sexual submission—the speaker does not regret his physical attraction to his mistress but embraces it as an essential part of love.
Theme Analysis
1. The Conflict Between Soul and Body
- The speaker acknowledges that his nobler self (his soul) is being betrayed by his physical desires.
- However, instead of resisting, he justifies his submission to lust, arguing that love itself demands it.
- “My nobler part to my gross body’s treason” expresses this internal battle.
2. Love and Sexual Desire
- Unlike earlier sonnets that focus on spiritual and emotional love, Sonnet 151 directly addresses physical attraction and sexual desire.
- The rising and falling imagery is a clear reference to sexual arousal, making this one of Shakespeare’s most openly erotic sonnets.
3. Moral Justification of Lust
- The speaker initially suggests that love and conscience should go hand in hand, but he ultimately abandons moral restraint in favor of physical pleasure.
- He claims that his bodily response is not immoral, but rather a proof of devotion to his mistress.
4. The Mistress’s Power Over the Speaker
- The speaker willingly submits to his mistress, allowing her to control his emotions and body.
- “He is contented thy poor drudge to be” suggests that his body is like a servant or slave to her will.
Literary Devices
1. Personification
- Love is personified as “too young to know what conscience is”, implying that love itself is naive and impulsive.
- The soul and body are treated as separate entities: the soul speaks to the body, but the body ignores reason and follows its own desires.
2. Double Entendre (Sexual Wordplay)
- “Rising at thy name doth point out thee” → A clear reference to sexual arousal.
- “For whose dear love I rise and fall” → Suggests both emotional highs and lows and physical arousal and release.
3. Metaphor
- The body as a drudge → The speaker compares his body to a loyal servant that follows his mistress’s command.
- “Triumph in love” → Suggests that love is a kind of conquest, with the body celebrating its victory over moral restraint.
4. Paradox
- The speaker claims that love and conscience should be connected, yet he uses this argument to justify immoral behavior.
- “No want of conscience hold it that I call / Her love” → He argues that acting on desire is not a lack of conscience, but proof of love.
5. Irony
- The speaker begins by discussing love and conscience, suggesting a moral dilemma, but the poem ends with full submission to lust.
- He pretends to question his actions, but ultimately embraces them wholeheartedly.
Conclusion
Sonnet 151 is one of Shakespeare’s most bold and sensual poems, openly embracing the physical side of love. The speaker initially considers the role of conscience in love, but he ultimately surrenders to his bodily desires, arguing that his sexual impulses are a natural and honorable part of love. The poem presents a powerful tension between morality and passion, but instead of condemning physical desire, Shakespeare celebrates it as an essential and inevitable force.
This sonnet is a striking contrast to the earlier sonnets that idealize love—it is earthy, raw, and unapologetically passionate, demonstrating Shakespeare’s ability to explore love in all its complexities.
