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Oh how much more doth beautie beautious seeme,
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give,
The Rose lookes faire, but fairer we it deeme
For that sweet odor, which doth in it live:
The Canker bloomes have full as deepe a die,
As the perfumed tincture of the Roses,
Hang on such thornes, and play as wantonly,
When sommers breath their masked buds discloses:
But for their virtue only is their show,
They live unwoo'd, and unrespected fade,
Die to themselves, Sweet Roses doe not so,
Of their sweet deathes, are sweetest odors made:
And so of you, beautious and lovely youth,
When that shall vade, my verse distils your truth.
Commentary
Commentary
Address to an absent lover
Address to an absent lover
Changes made to the original text: line 14, 'by' changed to 'my'.
In the first quatrain, the poet notes that the rose is valued more for is odour, just as the beloved is valued more for his truth.
In the second quatrain, the poet compares the rose with a dog rose (canker rose), noting that the canker rose is equally coloured, has similar thorns and 'play as wantonly' in summer breezes, but
In the third quatrain, the poet notes that canker roses, however, do not have a perfume, and when they die, they die, no sweet odours can be made from them.
In the final couplet, the poet notes that, similar to a true rose, when the young man's beauty fades (shall vade) his (the poet's) verse will preserve (distill) his truth.
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