Sonnet 37

Commentary

Address to a fortunate young man

Changes to the original text: line 1, comma omitted at the end of the line, line 7; 'their' changed to 'thy'.

Does this mean that Shakespeare was lame? Line 3 'lame by fortune's dearest spight' implies that this is the case, though it would seem unlikely that Shakespeare's detractors would not have picked up on this in their taunts had it been the case. But see also Sonnet 89.

In the first quatrain, the poet likens himself to an old father who, himself lame and decrepit, takes joy in seeing the activity of his son.

In the second quatrain, the poet sees himself as securely planted (ingrafted) in the young man's store of beauty, birth, wealth and wit. He (the poet) therefore takes on the attributes of his young friend by feeding from the same root.

In the third quatrain, the poet claims no longer to be lame, poor and despised, but rather lives by having a part of his beloved's ample store.

In the final couplet, the poet expresses the thought that in this way whatever he wishes for for the young man, rebounds on him (the poet). In effect, wishing the young man well, he in fact wishes himself well.