Sonnet 145

THE 1609 QUARTO VERSION

THoſe lips that Loues owne hand did make,
Breath'd forth the ſound that ſaid I hate,

To me that languiſht for her ſake:
But when ſhe ſaw my wofull ſtate,
Straight in her heart did mercie come,
Chiding that tongue that euer ſweet,
Was vſde in giuing gentle dome:
And tought it thus a new to greete:
I hate ſhe alterd with an end,
That follow'd it as gentle day,
Doth follow night who like a fiend
From heauen to hell is flowne away.
  I hate,from hate away ſhe threw,
  And ſau'd my life ſaying not you

(Modern Version)

Those lips that Love's own hand did make
Breathed forth the sound that said "I hate“

To me that languished for her sake;
But when she saw my woeful state,
Straight in her heart did mercy come,
Chiding that tongue that ever sweet
Was used in giving gentle doom,
And taught it thus anew to greet:
"I hate" she altered with an end,
That followed it as gentle day
Doth follow night, who like a fiend
From heaven to hell is flown away.
"I hate" from hate away she threw,
And saved my life, saying "not you."

Sonnet 145 is about a person who is so in love with a woman, that hearing her say that "she hates" especially if it is about him is almost too much for him to bear. But then when she notices how much pain she has caused her lover by saying that she may potentially hate him, she changes the way that she says it to assure him that she hates but does not hate him. This sonnet is unique in the collection- iambic tetrameter, instead of pentameter.  This sonnet was expressed in a fairly simple language and syntax, along with the oddity of the meter, have led to suggestions that it was written much earlier than the other, more mature, sonnets.

The speaker reveals that after seeing his sorrowful expression, she suddenly becomes sympathetic toward him. He makes it difficult to accept his claim, “straight in her heart did mercy come.” In early sonnets, he has painted her the epitome of evil will toward him, but now he wants to play a little game with words. The reader has to believe the speaker is deluding himself.

Nevertheless, he claims that she changes her hatred and even chides herself for causing him pain. He would have his listener believe that she is truly sorry for using her tongue “in giving gentle doom.” She accordingly wipes clean her earlier expression of hatred and begins again.

The lady then says, “‘I hate’ from hate away she threw, - means that she throw away the feelings of hatred towards her husband. And sav’d my life, saying—‘Not you.’” She saves his life by saying she hates but not him. She felt sympathy towards her husband because she saw the sorrowful expression in his face when she said ‘I hate’. Therefore she manipulated the sentence

‘I hate, but not you’

“He is easy to please at times. By adding ‘not you’ she had cajoled his sorrow feelings.

‘And saved my life, saying , not you.’

‘hate away’ was believed to be the symbol of his wife, Hathway. (Ann Hathway)