William Shakespeares Sonnet Thirteen (O! That You Were Your Self; But, Love, You Are) is the 13th of his 154 sonnets published in 1609. This is also the Thirteenth of the “Fair Youth” sonnets, in which an unnamed man is being addressed by the speaker. In addition to that, it’s the Thirteenth 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 informs the fair youth that his life is not eternal and that his time here is, in essence, but a lease from nature. His beauty, like that of all of nature will fade and whither away with time. He asks what kind of person would let such a fine specimen of a house/person fall to decay with time and the barrage of nature’s battlements. None but unthrifts would let such a tragic end befall his legacy. He encourages the youth to have a son that he might be proud to call him his father and, thus, keeping his house in fair condition beyond his time.
Sonnet Thirteen – O! That You Were Your Self; But, Love, You Are
O! that you were your self; but, love, you are No longer yours, than you your self here live: Against this coming end you should prepare, And your sweet semblance to some other give: So should that beauty which you hold in lease Find no determination; then you were Yourself again, after yourself's decease, When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear. Who lets so fair a house fall to decay, Which husbandry in honour might uphold, Against the stormy gusts of winter's day And barren rage of death's eternal cold? O! none but unthrifts. Dear my love, you know, You had a father: let your son say so.
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