William Shakespeare
1564-1616
Sonnet CXXIX
The expense
of spirit in a waste of shame
Is lust in action:
and till action, lust
Is perjur'd, murderous,
bloody, full of blame,
Savage, extreme, rude,
cruel, not to trust;
Enjoy'd no sooner
but despised straight;
Past reason hunted;
and no sooner had,
Past reason hated,
as a swallow'd bait,
On purpose laid to
make the taker mad:
Mad in pursuit and
in possession so;
Had, having, and in
quest, to have extreme;
A bliss in proof,--
and prov'd, a very woe;
Before, a joy propos'd;
behind a dream.
All this the world well knows; yet none knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.
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