“Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage”
'Vassalage' is the condition of a vassal in the medieval feudal system: a man bound to a lord by a sworn oath of service, owing loyalty and duty in exchange for protection. The poet casts his love as a feudal bond — not free affection but an absolute obligation 'strongly knit' by the youth's merit itself.
historical The Fair Youth, the Dark Lady, and the Rival Poet“To thee I send this written embassage”
'Embassage' (also spelled 'ambassage') means an ambassador's official message or mission — a formal written communication dispatched from one party to another of higher rank. The poet frames the sonnet itself as a diplomatic document: an official embassy rather than a casual letter, sent to 'witness duty, not to show my wit.'
“some good conceit of thine / In thy soul's thought, all naked”
'Conceit' here means a favorable opinion or favorable understanding — a good thought in the reader's mind. The poet hopes the youth will mentally clothe his bare, inadequate words with a generous interpretation. This sense of 'conceit' as 'opinion' or 'estimation' (rather than its modern meaning of self-importance) was standard in Shakespeare's time.
- TLN 359historical topical
“whatsoever star that guides my moving, / Points on me graciously with fair aspect”
'Aspect' is a technical term from astrology: the angular relationship between a planet and a point in the horoscope, which was believed to determine whether that planet's influence was favorable or harmful. A 'fair aspect' meant the star was positioned to shine beneficently on the poet — fortune favoring him. The poet waits for the stars to align before daring to present himself as worthy.
“puts apparel on my tatter'd loving, / To show me worthy of thy sweet respect”
The poet uses a sustained clothing metaphor: his love is 'tatter'd' — ragged, threadbare — because his poor wit cannot dress it in worthy language. He waits for Fortune's star to provide 'apparel' (proper clothing) for his feeling so that it can be presented decently. The conceit runs through the whole sonnet: love as a garment that is worn bare and needs Fortune's tailoring before it can be shown in public.
historical The sonnet form