1. Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest,
2. Now is the time that face should form another,
3. Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,
4. Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother.
5. For where is she so fair whose unear'd womb
6. Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?
7. Or who is he so fond will be the tomb
8. Of his self-love, to stop posterity?
9. Thou art thy mother's glass and she in thee
10. Calls back the lovely April of her prime,
11. So thou through windows of thine age shall see,
12. Despite of wrinkles this thy golden time.
13. But if thou live remember'd not to be,
14. Die single and thine Image dies with thee.
Thine Image Dies With Thee
Dedication: To Elizabeth
A request to Elizabeth for introspection and contemplation of what it will mean to die before she recognizes Henry.
1st Quatrain: (1-4)
Requesting her to look in the mirror in line 1 and metaphorically create another by recognizing Henry in lie 2. Telling her the if she doesn't renew herself through Henry that she cheats the world in lines 3 and 4. Telling her to end her virgin reputation in line 4.
2nd Quatrain: (5-8)
Asking her rhetorically how she can be so fair that she can claim a supposedly untilled womb which holds in contempt the care for her household with again the play on his being the husband in lines 6 and 7. Then referring to himself asks if she thinks he is so self centered that he wouldn't trade anonymity for Henry's succession.
3rd Quatrain: (9-12)
Reminding her of her own mother (who being Anne Boleyn was probably not done very often but things are a bit more desperate) and the fond time when Elizabeth herself was born in lines 9 and 10.Telling her that though she is quite old (probably almost 60) she has this golden time to make another by recognizing Henry in lines 11 and 12.
couplet (13-14),
Telling her however if she continues on without her heir, Henry effectively dies with her.
Commentary:
Oxford in a last desperate attempt to make Elizabeth see herself truly and recognize her age and her mother’s legacy so that she may realize that she has a chance left to pass on that legacy herself.He tells her that despite her old age that this is her “golden time” when she may pass on a more lasting and important legacy and metaphorically give birth all over again. While of course traditionally this sonnets has always been literally interpreted to argue for creating a child. But as discussed this is the development of the metaphor for recognizing Henry. Additionally there are many clues that Elizabeth is actually quite old. Such as the “despite of wrinkles” and the appeal to the subject to look back on her own life “through windows of thine age”. While it may be misunderstood that the subject is to look ahead but I believe the poem makes clear the subject is looking backward to when Elizabeth was young. As when her mother, someone Elizabeth was not often reminded of, was young herself and gave birth to her. Line 5 is to be understood as a rhetorical question regarding the “unear’d womb” which the poet regards as a disingenuous concept of her being the “Virgin Queen”.As line 6 reinforces that he has made the sacrifice to take his name to the grave to enable Henry’s succession. Most importantly line 4 however is both a continuation for arguing against her remaining the "Virgin Queen", but would make far greater sense if the context was as is supposed, to say "bless some maiden".
But most importantly line 10 I believe is subtly suggesting a connection of Henry to Elizabeth's mother. And the resemblance of Henry to Anne Boleyn, which is hinted at and represented by the proper noun Image that will die with Elizabeth. Readers are invited to see for themselves the resemblance as many have offered that Henry actually looked like the Countes of Southampton, Mary Wriothesley and he does share a similar elongated face but I believe the resemblance to his real maternal grandmother is far superior. And further helps illustrate how he also resembles Elizabeth and is part of the Tudor lineage.
And while some might scoff at the notion that Elizabeth wanted to be reminded of her mother, Elizabeth had a locket ring that had both her and her mothers picture.
Additionally it was pointed out to me that there was a notable distinction between the usage of "thou" and "you" during Elizabethan times. With "you" being the more formal and appropriate way to address royalty. And with the plural ye being even more appropriate. Though apparently "thou" also implied intimacy. I would submit that either way it should not be a problem in this poem. As it is either an indication of the intimacy expressed or an indication of the chronology that "thou" was no longer governed by such rules. Along with the general suggestion that Shakespeare use you and ye interchangeably.