Sonnet 103: Alack, what poverty my Muse brings forth

Alack, what poverty my Muse brings forth,
That having such a scope to show her pride,
The argument all bare is of more worth
Than when it hath my added praise beside.
O, blame me not if I no more can write!
Look in your glass, and there appears a face
That overgoes my blunt invention quite,
Dulling my lines, and doing me disgrace.
Were it not sinful then striving to mend,
To mar the subject that before was well?
For to no other pass my verses tend
Than of your graces and your gifts to tell;
And more, much more than in my verse can sit,
Your own glass shows you when you look in it.

(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

Related poetry:

Sonnet 38: How can my Muse want subject to invent How can my Muse want subject to invent While thou dost breathe, that pour’st into my verse Thine own sweet […]...

Sonnet 78: So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse, And found such fair assistance in my verse As every alien […]...

Sonnet 21: So is it not with me as with that muse So is it not with me as with that muse, Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse, Who heaven […]...

Sonnet 82: I grant thou wert not married to my Muse I grant thou wert not married to my Muse, And therefore mayst without attaint o’erlook The dedicated words which writers […]...

Sonnet LXXVIII So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse And found such fair assistance in my verse As every alien […]...

Sonnet XXV: O Why Should Nature O why should Nature niggardly restrain That foreign nations relish not our tongue? Else should my lines glide on the […]...

Sonnet: O Poverty! Though From Thy Haggard Eye O, Poverty! though from thy haggard eye, Thy cheerless mien, of every charm bereft, Thy brow that Hope’s last traces […]...

Sonnet 76: Why is my verse so barren of new pride? Why is my verse so barren of new pride? So far from variation or quick change? Why with the time […]...

Sonnet 33: Full many a glorious morning have I seen Full many a glorious morning have I seen Flatter the mountaintops with sovereign eye, Kissing with golden face the meadows […]...

Sonnet XXIII Full many a glorious morning have I seen Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye, Kissing with golden face the meadows […]...

Sonnet I: Loving In Truth Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, That she (dear She) might take some pleasure of […]...

Sonnet XXI: A Witless Galant A witless gallant a young wench that woo’d (Yet his dull spirit her not one jot could move), Entreated me, […]...

Sonnet 101: O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed? Both truth and beauty […]...

Sonnet 85: My tongue-tied Muse in manners holds her still My tongue-tied Muse in manners holds her still, While comments of your praise, richly compiled, Reserve their character with golden […]...

Sonnet CV Let not my love be call’d idolatry, Nor my beloved as an idol show, Since all alike my songs and […]...

Sonnet 105: Let not my love be called idolatry Let not my love be called idolatry, Nor my belovèd as an idol show, Since all alike my songs and […]...

Sonnet XLII: Some Men There Be Some men there be which like my method well And much commend the strangeness of my vein; Some say I […]...

TO HIS MUSE Whither, mad maiden, wilt thou roam? Far safer ’twere to stay at home; Where thou mayst sit, and piping, please […]...

Sonnet XVII Who will believe my verse in time to come, If it were fill’d with your most high deserts? Though yet, […]...

Sonnet 17: Who will believe my verse in time to come Who will believe my verse in time to come If it were filled with your most high deserts? Though yet […]...

Jordan Who says that fictions only and false hair Become a verse? Is there in truth no beauty? Is all good […]...

Sonnet 146: Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, My sinful earth these rebel powers array, Why dost thou pine within […]...

Sonnet XLIV: Here Droops the Muse Here droops the muse! while from her glowing mind, Celestial Sympathy, with humid eye, Bids the light Sylph capricious Fancy […]...

Sonnet LXXXIX Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault, And I will comment upon that offence; Speak of my lameness, […]...

Sonnet 89: Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault, And I will comment upon that offence; Speak of my lameness, […]...

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 […]...

Sonnet CXXVI O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power Dost hold Time’s fickle glass, his sickle, hour; Who hast by […]...

Sonnet 100: Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget'st so long Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget’st so long To speak of that which gives thee all thy might? Spend’st […]...

Sonnet XIV: Alas, Have I Not Alas, have I not pain enough, my friend, Upon whose breast a fiercer gripe doth tire, Than did on him […]...

The Blossom ON a day alack the day! Love, whose month is ever May, Spied a blossom passing fair Playing in the […]...

Sonnet 126: O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power Dost hold Time’s fickle glass his fickle hour; Who hast by […]...

Sonnet 13 XIII To Mr. H. Lawes, on his Aires. Harry whose tuneful and well measur’d Song First taught our English Musick […]...

281. Sonnet to R. Graham, Esq., on Receiving a Favour I CALL no Goddess to inspire my strains, A fabled Muse may suit a bard that feigns: Friend of my […]...

Sonnet 09 – Can it be right to give what I can give? Can it be right to give what I can give? To let thee sit beneath the fall of tears As […]...

Sonnet XIX Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws, And make the earth devour her own sweet brood; Pluck the keen teeth […]...

Sonnet LIX If there be nothing new, but that which is Hath been before, how are our brains beguiled, Which, labouring for […]...

Sonnet 59: If there be nothing new, but that which is If there be nothing new, but that which is Hath been before, how are our brains beguiled, Which, labouring for […]...

Sonnet LXXXVI Was it the proud full sail of his great verse, Bound for the prize of all too precious you, That […]...

Sonnet 19: Devouring Time blunt thou the lion's paws Devouring Time blunt thou the lion’s paws, And make the earth devour her own sweet brood, Pluck the keen teeth […]...

Sonnet XIX: Devouring Time, Blunt Thou the Lion's Paws Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws, And make the earth devour her own sweet brood; Pluck the keen teeth […]...