| From fairest creatures we desire increase,, That thereby beauty's rose might never die,, But as the riper should by time decease,, His tender heir might bear his memory:, But thou contracted to thine… | 1 |
| When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,, And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,, Thy youth's proud livery so gazed on now,, Will be a tatter'd weed of small worth held:, Then being asked, whe… | 2 |
| Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest, Now is the time that face should form another;, Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,, Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother., For w… | 3 |
| 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, wh… | 4 |
| Those hours, that with gentle work did frame, The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell,, Will play the tyrants to the very same, And that unfair which fairly doth excel;, For never-resting time lead… | 5 |
| Then let not winter's ragged hand deface,, In thee thy summer, ere thou be distill'd:, Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some place, With beauty's treasure ere it be self-kill'd., That use is not fo… | 6 |
| Lo! in the orient when the gracious light, Lifts up his burning head, each under eye, Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,, Serving with looks his sacred majesty;, And having climb'd the steep-up h… | 7 |
| Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?, Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy:, Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,, Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy?, If… | 8 |
| Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye,, That thou consum'st thy self in single life?, Ah! if thou issueless shalt hap to die,, The world will wail thee like a makeless wife;, The world will be thy widow… | 9 |
| For shame! deny that thou bear'st love to any,, Who for thy self art so unprovident., Grant, if thou wilt, thou art belov'd of many,, But that thou none lov'st is most evident:, For thou art so posses… | 10 |
| 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 conv… | 11 |
| When I do count the clock that tells the time,, And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;, When I behold the violet past prime,, And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white;, When lofty trees I s… | 12 |
| 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… | 13 |
| Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck;, And yet methinks I have astronomy,, But not to tell of good or evil luck,, Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality;, Nor can I fortune to brief minutes… | 14 |
| When I consider every thing that grows, Holds in perfection but a little moment,, That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows, Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;, When I perceive that… | 15 |
| But wherefore do not you a mightier way, Make war upon this bloody tyrant, Time?, And fortify your self in your decay, With means more blessed than my barren rhyme?, Now stand you on the top of happy… | 16 |
| Who will believe my verse in time to come,, If it were fill'd with your most high deserts?, Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb, Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts., If I cou… | 17 |
| Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?, Thou art more lovely and more temperate:, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,, And summer's lease hath all too short a date:, Sometime too hot the ey… | 18 |
| Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,, And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;, Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws,, And burn the long-liv'd phoenix, in her blood;, Make gl… | 19 |
| A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,, Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;, A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted, With shifting change, as is false women's fashion:, An eye mo… | 20 |
