Sonnet 135 – Shakespeare

Shakespeare turns desire into witty wordplay, building the whole sonnet on the multiple meanings of “will”: sexual appetite, intention, and even the poet’s own name. The Dark Lady has “will” enough already, he argues, yet she should still accept his. Beneath the jokes lies a serious plea for intimacy, as the poem transforms obsession into linguistic seduction.

Sonnet 135 – Read and Listen

⬇️ Download Audio

Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will to boot, and Will in overplus;
More than enough am I that vex thee still,
To thy sweet will making addition thus.

Wilt thou, whose will is large and spacious,
Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?
Shall will in others seem right gracious,
And in my will no fair acceptance shine?

The sea, all water, yet receives rain still,
And in abundance addeth to his store;
So thou, being rich in Will, add to thy Will
One will of mine, to make thy large Will more.

Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill;
Think all but one, and me in that one Will.

»»» Introduction to Shakespeare’s Sonnets
»»» Complete Sonnets List
»»» Sonnets in Italian

Introduction to Sonnet 135

Sonnet 135 is one of Shakespeare’s most playful and provocative sonnets in the Dark Lady sequence. It is built almost entirely on a single word—“will”—which carries several meanings at once: desire, intention, sexual appetite, and also the poet’s own name (Will Shakespeare). The result is a poem that sounds like comic seduction, yet reveals genuine obsession beneath the jokes.

So the speaker begins with a teasing observation. The Dark Lady already has her “wish,” meaning she has lovers, pleasures, and satisfactions. She has “thy Will,” and “Will to boot,” and “Will in overplus”—a comical piling-up that implies an excess of “wills” already in her possession. Yet Shakespeare insists that even if she has many, she should still accept his.

This argument becomes increasingly intimate. Shakespeare asks whether she, whose will is “large and spacious,” will not hide his will in hers even once. The phrasing is deliberately erotic: “will” is both the desire and the body. The sonnet therefore turns wordplay into a direct request for sexual acceptance.

In the third quatrain Shakespeare uses a natural analogy: the sea is full of water, yet still receives rain. Abundance does not prevent addition. Likewise, the Dark Lady, rich in “Will,” should add one “will” of his to make her large Will larger.

The couplet ends with a final plea: do not let “unkind” or “fair beseechers” kill his request. Think all but one, and let him be included in that one Will. Sonnet 135 therefore mixes humour with hunger: clever language becomes the mask of desire.

Analysis — Sonnet 135

First Quatrain — A Surplus of “Will”

The first quatrain sets up the joke. Whoever has her wish, she has her Will—and Will in abundance. The repetition suggests excess: she already possesses many lovers, many desires, many satisfactions.

Shakespeare calls himself “more than enough” that still vexes her, making addition to her sweet will. The “addition” is both poetic and erotic: another lover added to her collection.

This quatrain establishes the sonnet’s tone: witty insistence disguised as praise.

Second Quatrain — Hiding One Will in Another

In the second quatrain Shakespeare presses closer. She has a will that is large and spacious, so why not “vouchsafe to hide my will in thine” even once? The sexual implication is unmistakable.

He then complains of injustice. Will in others seems gracious, yet his will receives no fair acceptance. This jealousy is playful, but it also echoes the Dark Lady’s cruelty: she may allow others, while denying the speaker.

The quatrain transforms wordplay into emotional complaint.

Third Quatrain — The Sea Receives Rain

The third quatrain offers the central metaphor. The sea is all water, yet it still receives rain and adds to its store. Abundance does not reject increase.

Shakespeare applies this logic to the mistress. Even if she is rich in Will, she should add one will of his. The argument is absurdly logical: her large Will can always become larger.

This quatrain reveals the sonnet’s structure: seduction as a mock syllogism.

Final Couplet — “Think All but One”

The couplet is both playful and desperate. He asks her not to let other beseechers kill his claim. Then comes the key line: “Think all but one, and me in that one Will.”

This means: count all wills as one will—and include him. It is a verbal trick to justify fidelity within promiscuity. The poet wants exclusivity without demanding it; he wants to be the chosen one among many.

The ending shows the deeper truth: beneath comedy lies longing for possession.

Conclusion

Sonnet 135 turns lust into linguistic brilliance. Shakespeare builds a seductive argument out of “will,” exploiting its meanings—desire, appetite, intention, and name—to ask the Dark Lady for acceptance. The poem is full of clever repetition, but the cleverness is not empty: it is a strategy of craving.

By comparing the mistress to the sea that still receives rain, Shakespeare suggests that even abundance welcomes more. Yet the couplet reveals a deeper need. He wants not only entry into her desire, but a privileged place within it.

Ultimately, Sonnet 135 is comic on the surface and hungry underneath. It proves how Shakespeare can make wordplay itself a form of passion—where language becomes the lover’s only instrument of persuasion.

Sonetto 135 – In Italiano ·
◀ Sonnet 134 · Sonnet 136 ▶

PirandelloWeb