SONNET I, O hate me not, my love, because I love,

The first in a series of sonnets to my lady and my love.

O hate me not, my love, because I love,
Nor think you need my covetneous to fear;
Such is my love that mov’d by loving Jove
That though for loss of thee I shed a tear
‘tis not that thou hast him and hast not me
I weep, but that I have not thee with him.
Such is my love that it is charity--
It is not that self loving envy dim
Which wishes harm to a beloved’s love,
But love which beyond love doth burn,
Beyond the earth to the heavens above,
That love that Love doth follow in good turn.
     I love thee, my love--thus thy love I love;
     I love him, my love, as I love thee by Jove.

Reviews

[Brandon Wainscott]

@ TEverts. By God--Jove being the pagan Zeus. I used it for rhyme. I invoke the Christian God really. But Jove rhymes with love.

[T. Everts]

I really liked this sonnet. But what is the purpose of saying "By jove"? What does that mean?