Sonnet 40

Take all my loves, my love, yea take them all:
What hast thou then more than thou hadst before?
No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call -
All mine was thine before thou hadst this more.
Then if for my love thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest;
But yet be blamed if thou this self deceivest
By wilful taste of what thyself refusest.
I do forgive thy robb’ry, gentle thief,
Although thou steal thee all my poverty;
And yet love knows it is a greater grief
To bear love’s wrong than hate’s known injury.

Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites, yet we must not be foes.

By: William Shakespeare

He Said:
I believe that this sonnet is about a person (man or woman, most likely a man) who somewhat unconsciously gives heart or love to whom ever he falls for. I feel that it’s almost an obsessions that this person has with the other he has fallen for. Once someone new comes along all the other things don’t mean anything, "Take all my loves…No love, my love, that thou mayest true love call-" "I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest…" This person knows that the other doesn’t have the same feelings as He may, but I don’t think he cares. And I also think this man would rather have her curse him or for her to make whatever harmful words she may have for him rather than to try loving someone who does not love him in return. "And yet love knows it is a greater grief TO hear love’s wrong than hate’s known injury." This sonnet is about a very unhappy person on the inside, who needs to keep his emotions in check. But yet I can’t help feeling sorry for this hopeless romantic.

She said:
This sonnet is about a lover giving over all of himself to his love. He gives everything to her, all the love has and has ever had. Before this love he has never had a love so true and wants her to know that all his heart was hers even before now. Yet he realizes the possibility he is only being used. If his lover understands his deep affection then he cannot blame her for using his love. However, she is at fault if she betrays his love. He fell in love on accident and put his whole self into it, while she is not allowing herself to fall in love right away. She is being more calculating and this is a worry for him. While he forgives her for stealing his heart, he does realize that she has taken for herself all of him that costs nothing (love, affection, pride). Near the end of the sonnet he gives her a bit of advice. It is worse to be hurt by someone you love (someone who knows the best way to hurt them) than be hated by anyone openly. This would be the most devastating to his heart. And even though she may say evil things and hurt him, they must remain friends because of the love and deep affection he carries for her. It does not give a sense of how she feels or will react. This sonnet is a declaration of his love for her yet he realizes that she may not return this love. He needs to protect his heart.

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