The Place 2 Be: Shakespeare's Sonnets

Critique of Sonnet 11

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS

Theme: Young Man
Content: Encouragement for the subject to use his rich beauty and have children.

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow'st
In one of thine from that which thou departest,

“As fast as you age, as you will also grow in the form of your children that you leave behind.”

Another sonnet exploiting the imagery of opposites. Here, the subject wanes but at the same time grows't through his children.

And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow'st
Thou mayst call thine when thou from youth convertest.

“If you have children whilst young you will impart that youth that you may call your own when you change from youth to middle age.”

Effective means of portraying the reciprocal relationship of the subject to his offspring. He personally ages and diminishes whilst his children grow and develop.

Again, the growth of his children is portrayed in fresh blood compared to the subject's decline in from youth convertest.

Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase;
Without this, folly, age, and cold decay.

“These are the good qualities you demonstrate by having children, as opposed to the foolish things.”

The Rule of 3 effectively employed here in listing positive characteristics if the subject has children and negative ones if he does not.

If all were minded so, the times should cease,
And threescore year would make the world away.

“If all thought like you do then within 60 years the world’s population would die.”

Let those whom nature hath not made for store,
Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish.
Look whom she best endowed she gave the more,
Which bounteous gift thou shouldst in bounty cherish.

“Let those who are not blessed and not meant to have children die out, whilst those who have been blessed by nature in abundance use those gifts to create more of their kind.”

Endorsement of the “survival of the fittest” rule.

The Rule of 3 is repeated in Harsh, featureless, and rude.

Possible pun on baron in barren. The probable addressee was Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton and Baron of Titchfield, hence this line suggesting that the Baron would allow unsuitable suitors to perish.

She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.

“Nature made you like a printing seal for the purpose of creating more copies of yourself.”