Sonnet · Love

Sonnet 29: When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

by William Shakespeare · 1609

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1When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

2I all alone beweep my outcast state,

3And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,

4And look upon myself, and curse my fate,

5Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

6Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,

7Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,

8With what I most enjoy contented least;

9Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,

10Haply I think on thee, — and then my state,

11Like to the lark at break of day arising

12From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

13 For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings

14 That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

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“Sonnet 29: When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes” by William Shakespeare — quilloak.com/poems/sonnet-29

Quick facts

Poem: Sonnet 29: When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
Poet: William Shakespeare
Published: 1609
Length: 14 lines
Form: Sonnet
Themes: Love, Sad, Hope

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape: 14 lines · one 14-line stanza
Line length: Mostly 10-syllable lines (pentameter length).

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record: William Shakespeare1564–1616
Source record: PoetryDBSonnet 29: When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes by william-shakespeare, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: 1609
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 6d424a3875b15322…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Sonnet Love Sad Hope

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