1. So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse

2. And found such fair assistance in my verse

3. As every Alien pen hath got my use,

4. And under thee their poesy disperse.

5. Thine eyes that taught the dumb on high to sing.

6. And heavy ignorance aloft to fly,

7. Have added feathers to the learned's wing

8. And given grace a double Majesty.

9. Yet be most proud of that which I compile,

10. Whose influence is thine, and born of thee,

11. In others' works thou dost but mend the style,

12. And arts with thy sweet graces graced be.

13. But thou art all my art and dost advance

14. As high as learning my rude ignorance.

Born of Thee

Dedication: To Elizabeth

Oxford uses subtle reminders of Henry with usages of phrases such as “born of thee” and having “double majesty” in an attempt at reconciling and ingratiating himself to her.

1^st Quatrain: (1-4)

Telling Elizabeth of how often she has been Oxford's inspiration in line 1. In line 2 telling her of the gift this has provided his poetry. Contrasting this inspiration with the inspiration Oxford has provided to other poets and probably imitators in line 3. And that in comparison to him these poor imitators works are cast off in line 4.

2^nd Quatrain: (5-8)

Telling Elizabeth of the inspiration she has provided to all these assorted persons both dumb and learned. In line 7 the double majesty is provided by Henry.

3rd Quatrain: (9-12)

Telling her in line 9 that it is really Oxford's work's in dedication to her in which she should take pride. Further telling her these works are really the embodiment of her in line10. Contrasting this with others where she plays a lesser part in lines 11 and 12.

couplet (13-14),

Finishing with the telling Elizabeth that she is all of his art.

Commentary:

Oxford explains to Elizabeth that he has frequently referred to her as his inspiration, because it is her cause that inspires him. He immodestly points out that her inspiration of him is as he inspires other writers.

Line 9’s reference to what he compiles is a reference to his story of her through Henry, and thus appropriately he tells her is “thine and born of thee”. The couplet is meant to reflect that his verse and Elizabeth (all his art) are advanced by Henry as Elizabeth’s story, which we were told in line 8 provides a “double Majesty” And which should be reminiscent of line 12 in 88, what “double vantage(s)” him.

At this half way point one might ask why this Stratford man was writing these poems and how he had the time being a busy working actor and playwright who needed to write for money. As opposed to an Earl with the leisure time to devote to his plays and who was able to start his plays at a much earlier date due to his being over 14 years older than the Stratford man and therefore had many more years to complete them.. And having had a secretarial staff to dictate them to and could lived the type of life depicted in his works. And who as I’m suggesting had a most pressing and compulsively motivating influence to write these poems.

Last of the “rival poet” sonnets with no apparent reference of the rival.

Vendler has the “young man in the middle between Shakespeare and the learned rival poets”, I instead offer a contrast of Elizabeth’s praise by other poets being mere inspiration while Oxford’s claim to be an embodiment to Elizabeth. Vendler sees autobiography as she takes the dumb to be Shakespeare himself prior to his miraculous advancement. She sees Q2 as interesting but fails to understand the real significance of line 8, which represents Elizabeth, whose double majesty is a reflection of both herself and Henry. I would argue as well that the couplet has a ring of truth when almost all his poems are dedicated to one purpose, which Oxford sees as for Elizabeth’s benefit as well.