English poem
Sonnet 146: Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth
Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, My sinful earth these rebel powers array, Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth, Painting thy outward walls so costly gay? Why so large cost, having so short a lease, Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend? Shall worms, inheritors of this excess, Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body's end? Then soul, live thou upon thy servant's loss, And let that pine to aggravate thy store; Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross; Within be fed, without be rich no more: So shall thou feed on Death, that feeds on men, And Death once dead, there's no more dying then.
More by William Shakespeare
- Sonnet 142: Love is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate
- Sonnet 143: Lo, as a careful housewife runs to catch
- Sonnet 144: Two loves I have of comfort and despair
- Sonnet 145: Those lips that Love's own hand did make
- Sonnet 147: My love is as a fever longing still
- Sonnet 149: Canst thou, O cruel! say I love thee not
- Sonnet 14: Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck
- Sonnet 152: In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworn