Sonnet #90

Sonnet #90

XC.

Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now;
Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,
And do not drop in for an after-loss:
Ah, do not, when my heart hath 'scoped this sorrow,
Come in the rearward of a conquer'd woe;
Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,
To linger out a purposed overthrow.
If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,
When other petty griefs have done their spite
But in the onset come; so shall I taste
At first the very worst of fortune's might,
And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,
Compared with loss of thee will not seem so.

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Could someone explain me the fourth line?

a great sonnet havent read this one for ages was nice to come back for a refresh xx

Quote:

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Originally Posted by grigioverde

Could someone explain me the fourth line?

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And do not drop in for an after-loss

I think S. means "Don't wait till later to put me down...just pile on right now with everyone else when I'm down."

Yes, that's it. In an article on sonnet 90, there's this: "Drop in" bitingly recalls the friendly informality of the former relationship. "Don't casually come to me with your hate-an 'after-loss' or 'later-loss'-after the world has turned against me." He implies, in line 4, that his friend finds a sadistic enjoyment in choosing the moment to desert him when friendship might mean the most.