Sonnet 138 by William Shakespeare: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
Sonnet 138 explores a relationship where both partners are aware of the lies they tell each other but decide to maintain the facade.
The poem
When my love swears that she is made of truth, I do believe her though I know she lies, That she might think me some untutor’d youth, Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties. Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young, Although she knows my days are past the best, Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue: On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed: But wherefore says she not she is unjust? And wherefore say not I that I am old? O! love’s best habit is in seeming trust, And age in love, loves not to have years told: Therefore I lie with her, and she with me, And in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.
Sonnet 138 explores a relationship where both partners are aware of the lies they tell each other but decide to maintain the facade. The speaker acts as if he believes his lover is loyal, while she feigns ignorance of his aging. It’s a poem that highlights the little, cozy deceptions that sustain love — or at least the routine of love.
Line-by-line
When my love swears that she is made of truth, / I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth, / Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young, / Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue: / On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust? / And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust, / And age in love loves not to have years told.
Tone & mood
Wry and self-aware, with a hint of melancholy. Shakespeare isn't outraged or heartbroken here — he seems almost amused by the whole situation, like someone chuckling at a bad habit they can't quite kick. The tone feels confessional yet cool, intimate but without sentimentality.
Symbols & metaphors
- Lying / false-speaking tongue — Deception in this context isn’t just about being villainous — it’s what helps the relationship function smoothly. The lies illustrate the difference between romantic ideals and the more complicated reality of lasting desire.
- Youth / age — The speaker's aging body is what he most wants to conceal. Age represents vulnerability, along with the fear of being perceived as inadequate or undesirable, and the relentless passage of time that diminishes both beauty and passion.
- Seeming trust — The *appearance* of trust replaces the genuine article. It reflects the performative aspect of this relationship — and, by extension, many others — where the shared fiction takes precedence over the underlying truth.
- The untutored youth — The persona of the naive young man that the speaker pretends to embody reflects the self we present for a lover's sake and shows how desire can lead adults to willingly act innocent.
Historical context
Shakespeare wrote his 154 sonnets mainly in the 1590s, but they weren't published until 1609. Sonnet 138 is part of a series that addresses the so-called 'Dark Lady,' a mysterious figure whose identity remains unknown. Unlike the idealized beloved found in earlier Renaissance poetry—like Petrarch's Laura—the Dark Lady is depicted with striking realism: she has flaws, the relationship is morally complex, and the speaker is acutely aware of his own self-deception. Interestingly, this sonnet has an earlier version that appears in a 1599 anthology called *The Passionate Pilgrim*, suggesting that Shakespeare revised it over time. The poem fits into a long tradition of anti-Petrarchan verse that intentionally disrupts the conventions of courtly love by portraying love as it often is: messy, compromised, and supported by convenient fictions.
FAQ
It's about a couple who deceive one another: she acts as if she's faithful, while he pretends to trust her and to be younger than his actual age. They both silently agree to maintain this facade, finding it simpler than facing the truth.
Nobody knows for sure. She's the unnamed woman mentioned in Sonnets 127–154, described in ways that deviated from the typical blonde, blue-eyed ideal of Renaissance love poetry. Over the centuries, scholars have suggested various candidates, but none have been conclusively identified.
It's grounded instead of just cynical. Shakespeare isn't claiming that love has no value — he suggests that genuine, lasting desire usually relies on some level of shared pretense. There's a certain tenderness in how both individuals shield each other's emotions by avoiding the uncomfortable truths.
'Habit' refers to both a regular practice and a costume or disguise. This line suggests that love's most effective trick — its most useful disguise — is the *performance* of trust, even in the absence of true trust. It's a knowingly double-edged compliment to love.
He's worried about his age and fears that if she realizes how old he is, the magic will disappear. By letting her believe he's too naive to see the truth, he also sidesteps facing his own aging. It’s vanity disguised as a smart move.
Most of the earlier sonnets (addressed to the 'Fair Youth') explore themes of idealism, beauty, and the timelessness of verse. In contrast, Sonnet 138 takes a different approach: it’s unadorned, self-aware, and delves into the compromises of genuine desire rather than its triumphs.
It adheres to the classic Shakespearean sonnet structure: three quatrains (ABAB CDCD EFEF) followed by a final couplet (GG). As is typical in Shakespeare's work, the couplet provides the punchline or twist — in this case, a resigned acknowledgment that mutual pretense is simply part of how love operates.
Both are true, and that's the point. He's not just a gullible fool—he's actively involved in the deception. He pretends to believe her, while she lies about his age. The poem doesn't place blame on either side, which is part of what makes it feel so genuine about how relationships really work.