Theme: Love as a Treasure
Content: A sonnet where the subject is classified as a precious treasure at risk of being stolen from the author by lessers and even honest people.
How careful was I when I took my way
Each trifle
under truest
bars to thrust,
That to my use it might unused stay
From hands of falsehood,
in sure wards of trust.
- hands of falsehood identifies false people as the prime threat to stealing the author's subject.
- trifle morphs to truest which morphs to thrust which morphs to trust.
But thou, to whom my jewels trifles
are,
Most worthy comfort,
now my greatest grief,
Thou best of
dearest and mine
only care
Art left the prey of every vulgar
thief.
- A series of superlatives are used to describe the subject: Most worth, greatest, best, dearest.
- vulgar thief affirms the threat from dishonest people.
- trust now morphs back to the original trifles.
Thee have I not locked up in any chest
Save where thou art not, though I feel thou art
Within the gentle closure of my breast,
From whence at pleasure thou mayst come and part;
- Pun on chest as in treasure chest and the author's chest, i.e. heart.
And even thence thou wilt be stol'n, I fear,
For truth proves
thievish for a prize so dear.
- truth proves thievish suggests that even honest people can turn thieves when they see how great the prize of the subject is.
- The author is also deemed to be an open heart given that he feels others are still able to steal the subject even if he holds them in his heart.
- trifles now morphs finally to truth.
Critical text © NigelDavies.home@Virgin.net