Sonnet 20: “A woman’s face with Nature’s own hand painted”

Quarantine Project Day 4, Sonnet 20
A woman’s face with Nature’s own hand painted
Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;
A woman’s gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting change, as is false women’s fashion;
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue, all “hues” in his controlling,
Which steals men’s eyes and women’s souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created;
Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she prick’d thee out for women’s pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love’s use their treasure.

[@erfanzarei6457]

the most complete analysis without digression

[@yuliakostina2930]

Thank you for breaking down the sonnet ❤️

[@daphneveldman2617]

Thanks a lot! ❤

[@rahulbiswas7044]

Tnks u so much ❤️

[@NichaelCramer]

“nothing” ==> “an O thing”

[@christianebbertz7057]

Thank you for this!
So interesting: I thougth I knew this sonnet very well and have to find tons of P*** and V*** more than I thought!
May I add one thought to the question if Shakespeare was gay (in my best english): What was a better place for an artist being gay than the theater where you are allowed to wear women's clothes, where you can speak to a man how it is only allowed to a woman (even it's only written in the script) and where you can flee from your marriage.
Are you going to present Sonnet 129? I think this must be the feeling of somebody who can't have "legal" sexuality. Like a drug addict he stagger through illegality.

[@damesarahspring]

Excellent point! And yes, I will be getting to Sonnet 129 very soon!