Sonnet 34
Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day,
betrayal
forgiveness
remorse
friendship
Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day,
And make me travel forth without my cloak,
To let base clouds o'ertake me in my way,
Hiding thy bravery in their rotten smoke?
'Tis not enough that through the cloud thou break,
To dry the rain on my storm-beaten face,
For no man well of such a salve can speak
That heals the wound and cures not the disgrace:
Nor can thy shame give physic to my grief;
Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss:
The offender's sorrow lends but weak relief
To him that bears the strong offence's cross.
Ah! but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds,
And they are rich and ransom all ill deeds.
What It Means
More direct than Sonnet 33. Why did you promise good weather and then bring storms? Why did I go out without protection, only to get soaked? The young man has done something hurtful. The sun's apology — tears of repentance — is not quite enough. The wound heals with salve, but the salve doesn't prevent the wound. Remorse is not the same as not having acted badly.
Context
Part of the Fair Youth sequence, continuing the cloud/sun metaphor of Sonnet 33 and depicting a genuine grievance.
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