The poet admonishes the fair youth, telling him that, in dedicating himself to a single life he makes himself worthless, a nonentity, a nothingness.
Fair Youth Sonnets
Showing: 1 - 8 of 8 Articles
Sonnet 7: Lo! in the orient when the gracious light
By William Shakespeare Lo! in the orient when the gracious lightLifts up his burning head, each under eyeDoth homage to his new-appearing sight,Serving with looks …
Sonnet 6: Then Let Not Winter’s Ragged Hand Deface
By William Shakespeare Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface,In thee thy summer, ere thou be distilled:Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some placeWith beauty’s …
Sonnet 5: Those Hours, That With Gentle Work Did Frame
By William Shakespeare Those hours, that with gentle work did frameThe lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell,Will play the tyrants to the very sameAnd …
Sonnet 4: Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend
By William Shakespeare Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spendUpon thy self thy beauty’s legacy?Nature’s bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,And being frank she lends to …
Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest
By William Shakespeare Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest,Now is the time that face should form another,Whose fresh repair if now …
Sonnet 2: When forty winters shall besiege thy brow
By William Shakespeare When forty winters shall besiege thy browAnd dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field,Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now,Will be …
Sonnet 1: From fairest creatures we desire increase
‘But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes / Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel / Making a famine where abundance lies / Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel’