William Shakespeares Sonnet Four (Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend) is the 4th of his 154 sonnets published in 1609. This is also the Fourth of the “Fair Youth” sonnets, in which an unnamed man is being addressed by the speaker. In addition to that, it’s the Fourth 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. Much of what Shakespeare is saying in this particular sonnet can be taken all kinds of ways. He continues to address the young man/fair youth and continues to attempt to convince him to have children but there is a lot of wordplay going on with possible mixed meanings of sexuality and commerce. The overall message, though, is very clearly stated in this sonnet. Youth and beauty are only loaned to us by nature. We have the potential to do more than spend it on ourselves alone. By having offspring, we make the most of the gifts that nature has given us in our youth.
Sonnet Four – Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend
Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend Upon thy self thy beauty's legacy? Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend, And being frank she lends to those are free: Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse The bounteous largess given thee to give? Profitless usurer, why dost thou use So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live? For having traffic with thy self alone, Thou of thy self thy sweet self dost deceive: Then how when nature calls thee to be gone, What acceptable audit canst thou leave? Thy unused beauty must be tombed with thee, Which, used, lives th' executor to be.