1. If my dear love were but the child of state,
2. It might for fortune's bastard be unfathered
3. As subject to time's love, or to time's hate,
4. Weeds among weeds, or flowers with flowers gather'd.
5. No it was builded far from accident,
6. It suffers not in smiling pomp, nor falls
7. Under the blow of thralled discontent,
8. Whereto the inviting time our fashion calls:
9. It fears not policy that Heretic,
10. Which works on leases of short numbered hours,
11. But all alone stands hugely politic,
12. That it nor grows with heat, nor drowns with showers.
13. To this I witness call the fools of time,
14. Which die for goodness, who have lived for crime.
Your Greater Duty
Dedication: To Elizabeth
Informing Elizabeth of her greater duty to herself and to England's future by asking her not to be one of the "fools of time". Pointing out that this duty preempts policy.
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Telling Elizabeth that if she were merely the child of state i.e. only a being for the purpose of being sovereign and governing England in line 1. Then it might be OK for Henry to be without a father.Appealing to her sense of independence, he is suggesting that she take her own best interests to heart. Oxford probably sensed or knew of her feeling of the burden of being Queen and thought perhaps he could appeal to a more selfish side.
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
This decision is not to be made during a time of convenience or when it becomes expedient.
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
It is not to fear the policy an appeal to her to disregard the counselors that tell her otherwise. Line 12 plays on Henry not really being a flower though that has been a reference that he has used many times.
couplet (13-14),
Finally do not make the fatal mistake of attempting to do right only by committing this horrendous crime.
Commentary:
Where the previous sonnet gave the first major autobiographical clue about the poet (and the subject for that matter), this sonnet goes to the heart of the subject’s identity. Though previously I pointed out that sonnet 150 mentioned her “powerful might” here Oxford really alludes to Elizabeth as a figure of state with talk of “pomp”, “policy” and the “politic”. And one that continues with the thought that she is has a right to her own determination and will.
This sonnet uses the metaphor of the flower as distinct from the weeds to illustrate how they might be mixed if one is not careful. This is done for the purpose of warning against Henry growing common. And thus contaminating him. This will become a theme. This contrast of weeds to flowers also plays something of a prominent role in Venus and Adonis (line 965 "They bid thee crop a weed, thou pluck'st a flower").
It also contains other thoughts, such as the notion that she must make important decisions and plan for the future, even when it is not convenient for her. And perhaps most importantly the contrast of good people doing foul things. A notion that is instrumental to Shakespeare and provides largely the kind of complexity that he creates in his characters. I would suggest that this is no accident at all. It stems very much from the point of illustrating this notion.
This sonnet is somewhat of a contrast to the previous sonnet where the poet focused on his own duty and now discusses that of the subject’s duty. This makes far better sense when understood that the subject is a monarch or figure of state as discussed above. That the subject’s sex is not clear, the object of this poem is the “dear love” and I would argue not the “lovely boy”. The means of referral is however consistent and thus this is to a woman, and the only figure of state who was a woman in Elizabethan England was Elizabeth. For example the “dear love” a clear indication of the addressee being the same as the “love” he refers to in the couplet of 149.
Though we supposedly left the “Dark Lady” sonnets it should be clear that there is still a continuation of the same themes of crimes committed and very similar usage and references to sonnet 124, that of the “bastard shame of line 4 to “bastard be unfather’d” in line 2 of this sonnet. And Elizabeth as the “child of state” to the “powerful might” of sonnet 150. And as mentioned should be contrasted with 126, which is addressed to the “lovely boy”. Who not a single harsh word is said to, and one who relies on the sovereign mistress (who we are to presume superficially is Nature) for his rendering.Thus this sonnet is perhaps most critical for viewing as a continuation of the series to Elizabeth that was begun prior to 126 and probably not so clearly continued in 125.
The importance of the psychology of this sonnet can also not be understated because the expression of manipulation of Elizabeth is not only a very important theme but it was an important theme in Shakespeare’s plays as well. So thus it is instrumental to understanding the author in my view, to understand the motivation for portraying manipulation so importantly in Shakespeare’s plays. In fact I would argue Othello was likely a substitute for Elizabeth, and his race amongst Venetians was substitute for Elizabeth's sex among the other men. Thus a warning to her that those around her didn't have her best interests at heart. And perhaps it is a good time to point out as well, that there is good reason scholars find feminine themes and meaning in Shakespeare's works. As Shakespeare was mostly writing for one very specific woman. And it is not so entirely unreasonable that women are sometimes posited as the author.
The mention of flowers and weeds is also an early version of a much more complex and important metaphor to come.
I would again suggest that usage of Heretic in line 9, is possibly meant to infer a devotional and religious aspect to seeing Henry as a divine offering as Christ in some sense. As suggested in the previous sonnet's possible usage of oblation. But I think while this seems and is quite inapparent it would no doubt intentionally be so. As this could not be anything but subtextual. And there are likely many other examples of this implied meaning embedded in these complex yet diminutive deprograms
Vendler remarks that the speaker replies to the idea of love being uncertain with an emphasis on were in line 1 and remarks that it is not so is the meaning of but. Thus she is suggesting the Shakespeare is making a complete non-sequitur. As mentioned what the line actually means is the “if the love was only the child of state and had only considerations to make based on that alone.” She also remarks on the “curious anticlimactic quality” of the fourth line of each quatrain. I would argue that they only seem anticlimactic to her because she is not aware that the first and third allude to Henry. The second quatrain is again a warning to Elizabeth about the unpredictability of Oxford’s actions and when he might take them.