That thou lov'st mankind well, yet wilt not choose me, / And Satan hates me, yet is loath to lose me.
-- Speaker (Sonnet 1)

Importance: This quote, which serves as the rhyming couplet in the first sonnet, establishes the basic power dynamic at work in what could be referred to as the "drama" of the Holy Sonnets. The speaker introduces three key "characters"—himself, God, and Satan—and expresses a paradox over how these two entities are vying for his soul. These final two lines of the first sonnet suggest that Satan's grasp is detrimental yet powerful, while God's is one that must be earned.

This is my play's last scene; here heavens appoint / My pilgrimage's last mile; and my race, / Idly, yet quickly run, hath this last pace
-- Speaker (Sonnet 3)

Importance: This quote announces the circumstances under which the speaker is writing: he has come to the end of his life either by illness, old age, or...