Sonnet XXXI (1592 version): Look, Delia, how we ‘steem the
July 6, 2023Sonnet XXVII: Oft and In Vain
July 6, 2023Sonnet XXVIII: Reign In My Thoughts
Reign in my thoughts, fair hand, sweet eye, rare voice:
Possess me whole, my heart’s triumvirate;
Yet heavy heart to make so hard a choice,
Of such as spoil thy poor afflicted stated.
For whilst they strive which shall be Lord of all,
All my poor life by them is trodden down;
They all erect their Trophies on my fall,
And yield me nought that gives them their renown.
When back I look, I sigh my freedom past,
And wail the state wherein I present stand,
And see my fortune ever like to last,
Finding me reign’d with such a heavy hand.
What can I do by yield, and yield I do,
And serve all three, and yet they spoil me too.
Samuel Daniel
Samuel Daniel (1562-1619) was an English poet and playwright who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare. He is known for his works that explore themes of love, beauty, and the human condition, including his sonnet sequence "Delia" and his historical dramas.