Sonnet 90

Sonnet 90 is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare, part of the sequence of 154 sonnets he published in 1609. It is part of the "Fair Youth" sequence, which addresses a young man of great beauty. This sonnet explores themes of grief, rejection, and the strategic use of hardship.

In Sonnet 90, the speaker anticipates a time when he will face many sorrows and misfortunes. He implores the Fair Youth to inflict his unkindness and rejection now, at the same time as other hardships, rather than later when the speaker may feel he can better withstand the blow. The speaker rationalizes this request by suggesting that the Fair Youth's unkindness will be less painful if it is one of many trials occurring simultaneously. He aims to be numb to the pain, or at least to perceive it as lessened due to the cumulative effect of other sufferings.

The poem is notable for its emotional intensity and its exploration of the psychology of grief. The speaker's willingness to accept pain proactively reveals a deep-seated insecurity and a fear of future abandonment. The sonnet employs a variety of rhetorical devices, including anaphora ("Then," "And," "Even"), to emphasize the relentless wave of potential sorrows. The concluding couplet suggests a desire to be remembered fondly, even in the midst of rejection, highlighting the speaker's enduring affection for the Fair Youth. The sonnet uses the typical Shakespearean sonnet structure: three quatrains, followed by a concluding couplet, written in iambic pentameter and rhyming ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.