William Shakespeares Sonnet Eleven (As Fast As Thou Shalt Wane, So Fast Thou Grow’st) is the 11th of his 154 sonnets published in 1609. This is also the Eleventh of the “Fair Youth” sonnets, in which an unnamed man is being addressed by the speaker. In addition to that, it’s the Eleventh of the “procreation sonnets” where he feels compelled to convince the fair youth he’s addressing to get out there and get busy with procreation. Shakespeare continues his appeal for the fair youth to marry and have children by pointing out that it is the natural way of things for all of nature’s creatures to do so. He also points out how illogical it is for a race of beings to not carry out this biological imperative by conjecting that if all people decided to not procreate, it would mean the end of the race in threescore years. He then goes on to say that it is all the more important that the fair youth have children because he was given so much in the way of positive human qualities and that these good genes are well-primed for copying.
Sonnet Eleven – As Fast As Thou Shalt Wane, So Fast Thou Grow’st
As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow'st In one of thine, from that which thou departest; And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow'st, Thou mayst call thine when thou from youth convertest. Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase; Without this folly, age, and cold decay: If all were minded so, the times should cease And threescore year would make the world away. 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: She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby, Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.
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