Sonnet 21

So is it not with me as with that Muse,

Stird by a painted beauty to his verse,

Who heaven it selfe for ornament doth use,

And every faire with his faire doth reherse,

Making a coopelment of proud compare

With Sunne and Moone, with earth and seas rich gems,

With Aprills first borne flowers and all things rare,

That heavens ayre in this huge rondure hems.

O let me true in love but truly write,

And then beleeve me, my love is as faire

As any mothers childe, though not so bright

As those gould candells fixt in heavens ayer:

Let them say more that like of heare-say well,

I will not prayse that purpose not to sell.

Commentary

Address to a fair young man

Changes to the original text: end of line 6, colon changed to comma; end of line 8, comma changed to full stop; end of line 10, comma deleted.

In the first two quatrains, the poet points out that he does not proceed as most poets do in comparing his love to the sun, moon, and stars.

In the third quatrain, the poet asserts that he will truly write of his true love, which is as fair as 'any mother's child', but not as bright as the stars.

In the final couplet, the poet exhorts others to praise extravagantly who like hear-say, he, who does not try to sell by exaggerating, will not do so.