Sonnet 89
Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,
selflessness
forgiveness
identity
love
Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,
And I will comment upon that offence;
Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt,
Against thy reasons making no defence.
Thou canst not, love, disgrace me half so ill,
To set a form upon desired change,
As I'll myself disgrace: knowing thy will,
I will acquaintance strangle and look strange,
Be absent from thy walks, and in my tongue
Thy sweet beloved name no more shall dwell,
Lest I, too much profane, should do it wrong
And haply of our old acquaintance tell.
For thee against myself I'll vow debate,
For I must ne'er love him whom thou dost hate.
What It Means
Name a fault and Shakespeare will agree with it. Limp, and Shakespeare will limp to match. Speak badly of him, and Shakespeare will speak badly of himself too. He will stay away so that the young man doesn't have to look at someone whose name he has disowned. The self-erasure is complete.
Context
Part of the Fair Youth sequence, a companion to Sonnet 88.
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