1. Lo in the Orient when the gracious light,

2. Lifts up his burning head, each under eye

3. Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,

4. Serving with looks his sacred majesty;

5. And having climb'd the steep-up heavenly hill,

6. Resembling strong youth in his middle age,

7. Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,

8. Attending on his golden pilgrimage:

9. But when from highmost pitch, with weary car,

10. Like feeble age he reeleth from the day,

11. The eyes ( 'fore duteous) now converted are

12. From his low tract and look another way:

13. So thou, thyself out-going in thy noon:

14. Unlook'd on diest unless thou get a son.

A Son With Mortal Looks

Dedication: To Elizabeth

Comparing Henry allegorically to the rising sun and reminding Elizabeth of his resemblance to her, Oxford describes Henry’s journey of growth. Telling her that youthful beauty still adorns him at what was at the time middle age (Henry in his twenties by now). Then comparing Henry to himself who he tells us has grown old and weary and is “out-going” who will be himself forgotten unless she recognizes his son.

1^st Quatrain: (1-4)

Refering to Henry as the rising sun paying homage to his "sacred majesty" Queen Elizabeth.

2^nd Quatrain: (5-8)

Still comparing Henry to the Sun (as he is the son) as he rising into his mature years in analogy to day in lines 5 and 6. Telling Elizabeth that many still admire Henry for his beauty as his ascention in the sky and thus toward the throne take place in lines 7 and 8.

3rd Quatrain: (9-12)

Offering Elizabeth of a comparison of her to the setting sun in the guise of the classical chariot driving god heading toward the West.

couplet (13-14),

Telling her that this setting sun is her unless she gets a son (Henry) to replace her and to rise as previously mentioned.

Commentary:

Turning to a more thorough treatment of Henry as the Sun. A metaphor which was in development throughout the sequence as discussed previously. Line 7 reveals Henry is rising as the Sun. While the second half of the sonnet Elizabeth is setting.

It has long been missed how specific this sonnet is which refers to Henry by playing on the sun/son homophonian relationship. It is also quite clever the way the poem speaks of his looks serving “his sacred majesty”, which is both meant more literally than has been imagined and can refer to both Elizabeth and Henry.

It should be also quite clear that the third person references to him are both clues that this poem is not addressed to the “fair youth” but about him and thus written to someone else. While both the poet and subject are “outgoing” the sun is rising.

Lastly the poet specifically speaks of the subject being overlooked unless “thou get a son”. Examining this remark carefully will reveal that the poet is implying that everyone will have the same odd fascination with the subject of this poem specifically having a son. However this remark to Elizabeth with a son waiting in the wings makes perfect sense, since as Virgin Queen and late in life people were more focused on who the next monarch would be.