Sonnet 100

1. Where art thou, Muse, that thou forget'st so long,

2. To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?

3. Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,

4. Darkening thy power to lend base subjects light.

5. Return, forgetful Muse, and straight redeem,

6. In gentle numbers time so idly spent,

7. Sing to the ear that doth thy lays esteem,

8. And gives thy pen both skill and argument.

9. Rise resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey,

10. If time have any wrinkle graven there;

11. If any, be a Satire to decay,

12. And make time's spoils despised every where.

13. Give my love fame faster than time wastes life,

14. So thou prevent'st his scythe, and crooked knife.

Give My Love Fame

Dedication: To Elizabeth

Oxford Points out to Elizabeth her seeming forgetfulness in performing her duty to her son and country. Then pointing out to Elizabeth, her mistake in not recognizing the very essence of what the poet views as her true power. He then Reflects on Elizabeth’s investment in being the “Virgin Queen”, as opposed to using her power to reveal Henry’s truth. Asking her to reflect on her on age and act so that she might renew herself.

1st Quatrain: (1-4)

Again referring to Elizabeth as his Muse, Oxford asks about her inactivity in recognition. Saying in line 2 that by not speaking of her heir she is forgetting the very substance of her power, i.e., she inherited the throne. Probably suggesting that Elizabeth’s virginity is her worthless song in line 3. And in line 4 he tells her she is diminishing her ability to 'lend light' to the 'base subject' (Henry). I.e. that delay only increased the difficulty of her task.

2nd Quatrain: (5-8)

Telling her to go back and restore Henry in line 6. Suggesting her wasted time should be spent singing to her young son his praises. He makes the analogy of Henry providing success and justification for a metaphorical writing of her monarchy.

3rd Quatrain: (9-12)

Beginning the metaphor of drawing (or writing) in reference to capturing your image via a child. He tells her to end her inactivity and to look at her own face in line 9. Continuing on to tell her that she should let her possible wrinkles be a ridicule to Time. Implying with an heir she overcomes Times spoils.

couplet (13-14),

Finishing up with the entreaty to "give his love fame", i.e., make the product of it (Henry) a recognized royal and again beat Time at its destructive game.


Commentary:

Another to Elizabeth as Muse, who forgets to speak of something which gives her all her “might”. And spending her fury on “some worthless song”. But the real metaphor the emerges is Elizabeth’s pen whether for poetry, song, or art being the method of her reproducing herself and providing a legacy. This will become a very common theme. This usage functions one way or another very much like it does here as a prevention of death. Such as in the couplet which represents a metaphorical death, as death of course can never be prevented. This will become critical to understanding the very early numbered sonnets. But again in general the notion that renewing oneself being an effective means of immortality is the real message and one Oxford has rather uniquely made in these sonnets.

The sonnet contains important clues again concerning the chronology as it references Elizabeth's aging looks. Clear indication of the subject’s “power” and “might”are also seen and point clearly at Elizabeth. Fury in line 3 likely represents her power as that of wild nature. While song in same line is likely denoting something of little worth.

The entire first couplet reflects Elizabeth's power. Particularly in line 4 where he seems to imbue her with the power of the sun. Possibly as reflected in King Henry VIII (I, i) in the last line.

Line 7 lays reflect a short lyric (intended to be sung) but reminiscent of line 5 of 98 to come and King Henry VI, part II (I, iii) where these effectively become bird songs. But additionally as I argue in my explanation of a Phoenix and the Turtle this could just as easily also be a pun on laying an egg and suggestive of the birth given. Which I would offer as well provides greater explanatory power with respect to someone that seems to have inspired a whole political movement embodied in poetry and prose in addition to these Sonnets. Though admittedly Shakespeare seems to prefer references to being hatched and born when it comes to birds. At any rate Shakespeare's knowledge again of ornithology is another expertise Oxford was far more likely to posses.

Line 8 and its italicization seems to reflect the ill humour regarded for what is expressed as this needless "decay".

As Vendler speculates why the Muse has forgotten his friend, she offers “the only answer suggested by the sonnet is that the friend has begun to age; a wrinkle has been graven on his sweet face.”When in actuality the Muse is the love being asked to be both introspective and self assessing of her age and the need to address the long standing issue for which the poet unceasingly writes.Vendler fails to mention any connection of the message of renewal in this sonnet to the requests for renewal made in so many other sonnets both at the beginning and of the sequence. Likely because she fails to see it as about renewal but views the sonnet about Time itself.