# XXXIV explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by William Shakespeare.

## What happens

The speaker reproaches a beloved for promising fair weather and then abandoning him to storms, lamenting that apologies cannot undo the harm done, yet ultimately forgiving because the beloved's tears are precious and redeem all wrongs.

## Themes in this chapter

### Truth and Deception

The beloved's false promise of a beauteous day leads to the speaker's suffering, highlighting the theme of broken trust.

### Love and Desire

The speaker's deep emotional attachment and ultimate forgiveness underscore the power of love to redeem betrayal.

## Character check-ins

### William Shakespeare

The speaker who expresses betrayal and forgiveness.

### Love

The beloved whose tears are described as pearls that ransom ill deeds.

## Key lines

> Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day And make me travel forth without my cloak, To let base clouds o’ertake me in my way, Hiding thy bravery in their rotten smoke?

Why did you promise me a beautiful day and make me go out without protection, only to let lowly clouds overtake me, hiding your splendor in their foul mist?

_The speaker accuses the beloved of deceptive promises that led to his exposure to harm._

> Ah! but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds, And they are rich and ransom all ill deeds.

Ah, but the tears your love sheds are like pearls, and they are so valuable that they redeem all wrongdoings.

_The speaker forgives the beloved, valuing their tears as precious enough to cancel all offenses._

## Links

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