Sonnet 14

Not from the stars do I my judgement plucke,

And yet me thinkes I have Astronomy,

But not to tell of good, or evil lucke,

Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons quallity,


Nor can I fortune to breefe mynuits tell;

Pointing to each his thunder, raine and winde,

Or say with Princes if it shal go wel

By oft predict that I in heaven finde.


But from thine eies my knowledge I derive,

And, constant stars, in them I read such art

As truth and beautie shal together thrive

If from thy selfe, to store thou wouldst convert:


Or else of thee this I prognosticate,

Thy end is Truthes and Beauties doome and date.

Commentary

Address to a fair young man encouraging him to procreate

Changes to the original text: Line 8 final comma changed to full-stop; line 10, commas inserted around 'constant stars'.

In the first quatrain, the poet asserts that although he does not have the stars as his guides, he nevertheless has 'Astronomy' (ie the ability to predict the future), but not to predict catastrophes or the weather (seasons quallity).

In the second quatrain, the poet observes that he cannot make precise predictions (to breefe mynuits tell) of exactly what events might occur (thunder, rain and wind) or advise princes from frequent predictions (oft predict) of what he sees in the stars.

In the third quatrain, the poet reveals whence he has his knowledge of the future: from the fair young man's eyes. He also reveals what that knowledge is: that truth and beauty will thrive if the young man impregnates a woman (thy selfe to store thou would'st convert).

The final couplet simply makes the observation that, if the young man does not act as the poet advises, his death will also be the end of Truth and Beauty.