Sonnet 132
Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
pity
dark beauty
love
eyes
Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,
Have put on black and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
And truly not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east,
Nor that full star that ushers in the even
Doth half that glory to the sober west,
As those two mourning eyes become thy face:
O, let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me, since mourning doth thee grace,
And suit thy pity like in every part.
Then will I swear beauty herself is black
And all they foul that thy complexion lack.
What It Means
Shakespeare says his mistress's eyes take pity on him — they look at him as the morning star looks at the world when it's still dark, and as the evening star does at sunset. He wants her heart to mourn too, as her eyes seem to. He'll think all beauty black from now on, since her eyes — being black — are the kindest he knows.
Context
Part of the Dark Lady sequence. The black/mourning imagery connects to Sonnet 127's opening argument about dark beauty.
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