It is not love which you poor fools do deem (Sonnet 40)

It is not love which you poor fools do deem (Sonnet 40) Glossary

gloze

flattery, deceit

A deliberate comparison between love and flattery, suggesting that the love expressed by the "poor fools" is mere performance.

esteem

estimated value, valuation

redeem

to make amends or atonement

A word frequently associated with theology and the figure of Christ, the speaker uses this term to lend the concept of erotic love a spiritual quality.

blow

a firm stroke, a violent application of one object/instrument to another

beseem

to suit in appearance, to become, to befit

feigned

simulated, counterfeit, performed

Similar to the term "gloze," this term further associates the love of the "poor fools" with insincerity and showmanship.

desert

that which is deserved

hies

to hasten, speed, go quickly

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