1. Let those who are in favour with their stars,

2. Of public honour and proud titles boast,

3. Whilst I whom fortune of such triumph bars

4. Unlook'd for joy in that I honour most;

5. Great Princes' favourites their fair leaves spread,

6. But as the Marigold at the Sun's eye,

7. And in themselves their pride lies buried,

8. For at a frown they in their glory die.

9. The painful warrior famoused for worth,

10. After a thousand victories once foil'd,

11. Is from the book of honour razed quite,

12. And all the rest forgot for which he toil'd:

13. Then happy I, that love and am beloved

14. Where I may not remove nor be removed.

That I Honour Most

Dedication: To Elizabeth

Expressing his inability to ever gain satisfaction without Henry’s recognition he also expresses that he has come to grips with this in some sense and expresses the joy of knowing that he loves and is loved and that this can not be taken from him.

1^st Quatrain: (1-4)

Contrasting himself versus those of good fortune and honor. Line 4 in particular reflects his own unique doting on Henry.

2^nd Quatrain: (5-8)

Using a number of allusions and references to refer to Henry as in speaking of procreation using princes's and fair as an adjective in line 5 in reference to spreading their leaves. While the completion in line 7 refers morbidly to Henry still lying burried. Additionally comparing the marigolds in their glory dieing as another reference to Henry in line 8.

3rd Quatrain: (9-12)

Referring to himself the champion jouster and probable knight (He referred to himself once as the Knight of the Tree of the Sonne another piece of evidence to be discussed later) who most likely was in fact erased from William Segar's "Book of Honour and Arms". Referring to forgetting his reason and argument (Henry) in line 12

couplet (13-14),

Referring to his loving relationship to his son which they both take some solace in.

Commentary:

Again this sonnet most likely to Elizabeth reflecting the sorry state of his life and his desire not to be able to be further humiliated. Interestingly the wisdom attributed to Julius Caesar by Shakespeare that the fault “is not in our stars, But in ourselves” is something Oxford finds inapplicable to himself as mere victim of this horrible circumstance.

The autobiographical nature of this sonnet is very important, it says quite a bit about Oxford’s story. From his lack of public honor and the lack of joy he get from what he honors most in his son Henry.Here he does refer to Henry with the proper title of prince in the reference to princes as trees which are allowed to spread their leave. Shakespeare had a distinct habit of referring to people using the analogy of trees to which Oxford also not coincidently also shared. His identity is also revealed in the reference to one who was left out of the “book of honor” which as mentioned above Oxford does not appear even though he was likely a knight as he was a champion jouster. In addition that the last word in line 9 is “worth” as opposed to “fight” (as it frequently appears due to its better rhyming fit) likely reflects Oxford’s actual status as not really being allowed to fight though he had requested. Elizabeth tried to keep Southampton as well out of any fights.

Vendler comments that Shakespeare is offering a model (example) of the reversal of fortune. She tells us that Shakespeare’s choices for Princes favorites and painful warrior are chosen as a plural example and a singular one. But I would like to hope that both are understood as actually appropriate for the explanation I have provided. She also points out the aristocratic words honor, pride (proud), and favour(ites) but clearly doesn’t appreciate the larger context of their inclusion.