Sonnet IX

Is it for fear to wet a widow’s eye
That thou consumest thyself 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 and still weep
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
When every private widow well may keep
By children’s eyes her husband’s shape in mind.
Look, what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
But beauty’s waste hath in the world an end,
And kept unused, the user so destroys it.
No love toward others in that bosom sits
That on himself such murderous shame commits.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Related poetry:

Sonnet 9: Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye Is it for fear to wet a widow’s eye, That thou consum’st thy self in single life? Ah, if thou […]...

Sonnet IV: 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 […]...

Sonnet IV Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend Upon thyself thy beauty’s legacy? Nature’s bequest gives nothing but doth lend, And being […]...

Sonnet 4: 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 […]...

Sonnet CXLIX Canst thou, O cruel! say I love thee not, When I against myself with thee partake? Do I not think […]...

Sonnet 149: Canst thou, O cruel, say I love thee not Canst thou, O cruel, say I love thee not, When I against my self with thee partake? Do I not […]...

Sonnet X: To Nothing Fitter To nothing fitter can I thee compare Than to the son of some rich penny-father, Who, having now brought on […]...

Sonnet LXXVII Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear, Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste; The vacant leaves thy […]...

Sonnet XVIII: With What Sharp Checks With what sharp checks I in myself am shent, When into Reason’s audit I do go: And by just counts […]...

Sonnet 77: Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear, Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste; These vacant leaves thy […]...

Sonnet 48: How careful was I, when I took my way How careful was I, when I took my way, Each trifle under truest bars to thrust, That to my use […]...

Sonnet XLVIII How careful was I, when I took my way, Each trifle under truest bars to thrust, That to my use […]...

Sonnet XCII But do thy worst to steal thyself away, For term of life thou art assured mine, And life no longer […]...

Sonnet 92: But do thy worst to steal thy self away But do thy worst to steal thy self away, For term of life thou art assurèd mine, And life no […]...

Sonnet 79: Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid, My verse alone had all thy gentle grace, But now my gracious […]...

Sonnet LXXIX Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid, My verse alone had all thy gentle grace, But now my gracious […]...

Holy Sonnet XVII: Since She Whom I Loved Since she whom I loved hath paid her last debt To Nature, and to hers, and my good is dead, […]...

Sonnet LXIX Those parts of thee that the world’s eye doth view Want nothing that the thought of hearts can mend; All […]...

Sonnet 69: Those parts of thee that the world's eye doth view Those parts of thee that the world’s eye doth view Want nothing that the thought of hearts can mend; All […]...

Holy Sonnet I: Tho Has Made Me Tho has made me, and shall thy work decay? Repair me now, for now mine end doth haste; I run […]...

Sonnet XLII That thou hast her, it is not all my grief, And yet it may be said I loved her dearly; […]...

Sonnet 42: That thou hast her, it is not all my grief That thou hast her, it is not all my grief, And yet it may be said I loved her dearly; […]...

Sonnet I: Love Song Shalt Cupid be blamed thou doth dominate Dwelling in days and nights with dignity? With this self as my only […]...

Sonnet CXIII Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind; And that which governs me to go about Doth part […]...

Sonnet 113: Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind, And that which governs me to go about Doth part […]...

Sonnet CL O, from what power hast thou this powerful might With insufficiency my heart to sway? To make me give the […]...

Sonnet XXII My glass shall not persuade me I am old, So long as youth and thou are of one date; But […]...

Sonnet 22: My glass shall not persuade me I am old My glass shall not persuade me I am old So long as youth and thou are of one date; But […]...

Sonnet 150: O from what power hast thou this powerful might O, from what power hast thou this powerful might With insufficiency my heart to sway? To make me give the […]...

Sonnet XXXI Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts, Which I by lacking have supposed dead, And there reigns love and all […]...

Sonnet XCVII How like a winter hath my absence been From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! What freezings have I […]...

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

Sonnet 31: Thy bosom is endearèd with all hearts Thy bosom is endearèd with all hearts, Which I by lacking have supposèd dead, And there reigns love and all […]...

Sonnet CIV To me, fair friend, you never can be old, For as you were when first your eye I eyed, Such […]...

Sonnet 104: To me, fair friend, you never can be old To me, fair friend, you never can be old, For as you were when first your eye I eyed, Such […]...

Sonnet XXX When to the sessions of sweet silent thought I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of […]...

Sonnet XXXIX O, how thy worth with manners may I sing, When thou art all the better part of me? What can […]...

Sonnet 39: O, how thy worth with manners may I sing O, how thy worth with manners may I sing, When thou art all the better part of me? What can […]...

Sonnet 87: Farewell! Thou art too dear for my possessing Farewell! Thou art too dear for my possessing, And like enough thou know’st thy estimate, The charter of thy worth […]...

Sonnet LXXXVII Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing, And like enough thou know’st thy estimate: The charter of thy worth […]...