Summary

The speaker announces that there is no hope left for his love, and decides that he and his beloved will separate forever. He says he is done trying to win her affections, and that he is glad he can free himself of this distress without a second thought. He thinks that they will shake hands and part amicably while canceling any vows they made. He imagines that, if they happen to run into one another in the future, nobody will ever be able to tell what transpired between them.

As the sonnet transitions into the final six lines, the speaker envisions love as a dying man. He describes love's failing breath and heavy eyes as he lies on his death bed. While everyone else has accepted the death of love, the speaker urges the addressee to act, as she is the only one who...