Shake-speares Sonnets (Quarto 1, 1609)
Author: William ShakespeareEditors: Hardy M. Cook, Ian LancashirePeer Reviewed


¶VVHy is my ver
se
so barren of new pride
?
¶So far from variation or quicke change?
¶Why with the time do I not glance a
side
¶To new found methods,
_and to compounds
strange?
1130Why write I
still all one,
_euer the
same,
¶And keepe inuention in a noted weed,
¶That euery word doth almo
st fel my name,
¶Shewing their birth,
_and where they did proceed proceed
¶O know
sweet loue I alwaies write of you,
1135And you and loue are
still my argument:
¶So all my be
st is dre
ssing old words new,
¶Spending againe what is already
spent:
¶_For as the Sun is daily new and old,
¶So is my loue
still telling what is told,
¶THy gla
sse will
shew thee how thy beauties were,
¶Thy dyall how thy pretious mynuits wa
ste,
¶The vacant leaues thy mindes imprint will beare,
¶And of this booke,
_this learning mai
st thou ta
ste.
1145The wrinckles which thy gla
sse will truly
show,
¶Of mouthed graues will giue thee memorie,
¶Thou by thy dyals
shady
stealth mai
st know,
¶Times theeui
sh progre
sse to eternitie.
¶Looke what thy memorie cannot containe,
1150Commit to the
se wa
ste blacks,
_and thou
shalt finde
¶Tho
se children nur
st,
_deliuerd from thy braine,
¶To take a new acquaintance of thy minde.
¶_The
se offices,
_so oft as thou wilt looke,
¶Shall profit thee,
_and much inrich thy booke.
¶SO oft haue I inuok'd thee for my Mu
se,
¶And found
such faire a
ssi
stance in my ver
se,
¶As euery
Alien pen hath got my v
se,
¶And vnder thee their poe
sie di
sper
se.
1160Thine eyes,
_that taught the dumbe on high to
sing,
¶And heauie ignorance aloft to flie,
¶Haue added fethers to the learneds wing,
¶And giuen grace a double Maie
stie.
¶Yet be mo
st proud of that which I compile,
1165Who
se influence is thine,
_and borne of thee,
¶In others workes thou doo
st but mend the
stile,
¶And Arts with thy
sweete graces graced be.
¶_But thou art all my art,
_and doo
st aduance
¶As high as learning,
_my rude ignorance.

