# VII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

The speaker describes his beloved as fair but fickle, comparing her to glass, wax, and iron to illustrate her beauty and brittleness. He recounts her false oaths and feigned love, ultimately questioning whether she is a lover or a lecher, as her passion burns quickly and fades just as fast.

## Themes in this chapter

### Truth and Deception

The beloved's oaths and protestations are revealed as false, highlighting the theme of deception in love.

### Lust and Morality

The speaker questions whether the beloved's behavior is that of a lover or a lecher, blurring the line between love and lust.

## Character check-ins

### Love

Personified as a force that is framed and then betrayed by the beloved's actions.

## Key lines

> Fair is my love, but not so fair as fickle; Mild as a dove, but neither true nor trusty; Brighter than glass, and yet, as glass is, brittle; Softer than wax, and yet, as iron, rusty:

My beloved is beautiful, but even more changeable; gentle like a dove, but not faithful or reliable; clearer than glass, yet fragile like glass; softer than wax, yet tarnished like rusty iron.

_The speaker contrasts the beloved's outward beauty with her inner instability and moral decay._

> Her lips to mine how often hath she joined, Between each kiss her oaths of true love swearing! How many tales to please me hath she coined, Dreading my love, the loss thereof still fearing!

How many times has she kissed me, swearing oaths of true love between each kiss! She invented many stories to please me, while fearing that I might stop loving her.

_The speaker recalls the beloved's performative affection and fear of losing his love, which later proves insincere._

> She burn’d with love, as straw with fire flameth; She burn’d out love, as soon as straw out-burneth; She framed the love, and yet she foil’d the framing; She bade love last, and yet she fell a-turning.

Her love blazed up like straw catching fire, but it burned out just as quickly. She created love, then ruined it; she commanded love to endure, yet she herself changed.

_The speaker uses the metaphor of straw fire to emphasize the fleeting and self-destructive nature of the beloved's passion._

> Was this a lover, or a lecher whether? Bad in the best, though excellent in neither.

Was she a lover or a lecher? She was bad even at her best, and excelled at neither role.

_The speaker concludes that the beloved fails both as a faithful lover and as an honest libertine, being morally deficient in either case._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters/vii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_28_se/chapters