Poetry · Chapter
XC explained
The speaker implores the beloved to hate him now, if ever, while he is already beset by misfortune, rather than adding a final blow after other sorrows have passed.
What happens
The speaker implores the beloved to hate him now, if ever, while he is already beset by misfortune, rather than adding a final blow after other sorrows have passed. He argues that losing the beloved first would make all subsequent griefs seem trivial by comparison.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because the speaker reaches an emotional and psychological peak of self-aware torm…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love and Desire
The speaker's plea reveals the depth of his emotional dependence on the beloved's affection.
- Truth and Deception
The speaker anticipates betrayal and asks for honesty in the timing of rejection.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now; Now, while the world is bent my deeds to cross, Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow, And do not drop in for an after-loss”
If you must hate me, do it now while I'm already struggling against the world and fortune, rather than adding a final blow later.
The speaker asks for the beloved's hatred to come at the peak of his troubles, not as a delayed punishment.
“If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last, When other petty griefs have done their spite, But in the onset come; so shall I taste At first the very worst of fortune's might”
If you plan to abandon me, do it first, before other small sorrows, so I can face the worst of fortune's power right away.
The speaker prefers to endure the greatest loss first, making all subsequent woes seem minor.
