Sonnet XXII: With Fools and Children

To Folly

With fools and children, good discretion bears;
Then, honest people, bear with Love and me,
Nor older yet, nor wiser made by years,
Amongst the rest of fools and children be;
Love, still a baby, plays with gauds and toys,
And, like a wanton, sports with every feather,
And idiots still are running after boys,
Then fools and children fitt’st to go together.
He still as young as when he first was born,
No wiser I than when as young as he;
You that behold us, laugh us not to scorn;
Give Nature thanks you are not such as we.
Yet fools and children sometimes tell in play
Some, wise in show, more fools indeed than they.

Similar poems:

Sonnet XXVII: Is Not Love Here Is not Love here as ’tis in other climes, And differeth it, as do the several nations? Or hath it […]...

Sonnet LV: My Fair, If Thou Wilt My Fair, if thou wilt register my love, A world of volumes shall thereof arise; Preserve my tears, and thou […]...

Sonnet LIV: Yet Read at Last Yet read at last the story of my woe, The dreary abstracts of my endless cares, With my life’s sorrow […]...

Sonnet II: My Heart Was Slain My heart was slain, and none but you and I; Who should I think the murther should commit, Since but […]...

Sonnet XXVIII: To Such As Say To such as say thy love I overprize, And do not stick to term my praises folly, Against these folks, […]...

Sonnet XII: That Learned Father To the Soul That learned Father, who so firmly proves The Soul of man immortal and divine, And doth the […]...

Sonnet XIX: You Cannot Love To Humor You cannot love, my pretty heart, and why? There was a time you told me that you would; […]...

Sonnet LXIII: Truce, Gentle Love Truce, gentle Love, a parley now I crave; Methinks ’tis long since first these wars begun; Nor thou nor I […]...

Nymphidia, The Court Of Fairy (excerpts) But let us leave Queen Mab a while, Through many a gate, o’er many a stile, That now had gotten […]...

Sonnet LVIII: In Former Times In former times such as had store of coin, In wars at home, or when for conquests bound, For fear […]...

Sonnet XXIV: I Hear Some Say I hear some say, “This man is not in love.” “What? Can he love? A likely thing,” they say; “Read […]...

To the Reader of These Sonnets Into these Loves who but for Passion looks, At this first sight here let him lay them by And seek […]...

Sonnet XI: You Not Alone You not alone, when you are still alone, O God, from you that I could private be. Since you one […]...

Endimion and Phoebe (excerpts) In Ionia whence sprang old poets’ fame, From whom that sea did first derive her name, The blessed bed whereon […]...

Sonnet LX: Define My Weal Define my weal, and tell the joys of Heav’n; Express my woes, and show the pains of Hell; Declare what […]...

Sonnet XV: Since to Obtain Thee His Remedy for Love Since to obtain thee nothing will be stead, I have a med’cine that shall cure my […]...

Ode to the Cambro-Britons and their Harp, His Ballad of Agi Fair stood the wind for France, When we our sails advance; Nor now to prove our chance Longer will tarry; […]...

The Battle Of Agincourt Fair stood the wind for France When we our sails advance, Nor now to prove our chance Longer will tarry; […]...

Sonnet VII: Love in a Humour Love in a humor play’d the prodigal And bade my Senses to a solemn feast; Yet, more to grace the […]...

Sonnet XXVI: I Ever Love To Despair I ever love where never hope appears, Yet hope draws on my never-hoping care, And my life’s hope […]...

Idea LIII: To the River Ancor Clear Ancor, on whose silver-sanded shore My soul-shrin’d saint, my fair Idea lies, O blessed brook, whose milk-white swans adore […]...

Idea XXXVII: Dear, why should you command me to my rest Dear, why should you command me to my rest When now the night doth summon all to sleep? Methinks this […]...

Sonnet LVII: You Best Discern’d You best discern’d of my mind’s inward eyes, And yet your graces outwardly divine, Whose dear remembrance in my bosom […]...

Sonnet XXXII: Our Flood’s-Queen Thames Our flood’s-queen Thames for ships and swans is crown’d, And stately Severn for her shore is prais’d, The crystal Trent […]...

To The Virginian Voyage You brave heroic minds, Worthy your country’s name, That honour still pursue, Go, and subdue, Whilst loit’ring hinds Lurke here […]...

Sonnet VI: How Many Paltry Things How many paltry, foolish, painted things, That now is coaches trouble every street, Shall be forgotten, whom no Poet sings, […]...

Idea LI: Calling to mind since first my love begun Calling to mind since first my love begun, Th’ incertain times oft varying in their course, How things still unexpectedly […]...

Sonnet III: Taking My Pen Taking my pen, with words to cast my woe, Duly to count the sum of all my cares, I find […]...

Sonnet XLIX: Thou Leaden Brain Thou leaden brain, which censur’st what I write, And say’st my lines be dull and do not move, I marvel […]...

Sonnet XVII: Stay, Speedy Time To Time Stay, speedy Time, behold, before thou pass, From age to age what thou hast sought to see, One […]...