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Ah wherefore with infection should he live,
And with his presence grace impietie,
And sinne by him advantage should atchieve,
And lace it selfe with his societie?
Why should false painting immitate his cheeke,
And steale dead seeing of his living hew?
Why sould poore beautie indirectly seeke,
Roses of shaddow, since his Rose is true?
Why should he live now nature banckrout is,
Beggerd of blood to blush through lively vaines,
For she hath no exchecker now but his,
And proud of many, lives upon his gaines?
O him she stores, to show what welth she had,
In daies long since, before these last so bad.
Commentary
Commentary
Address to the reader
Address to the reader
In the first quatrain, the poet asks why should his beloved be subject to infection, impiety and sin. Why should these imperfections benefit by his society.
In the second quatrain, the poet asks why false painting should imitate his beloved's appearance, when he himself (the beloved) is still living. Why seek the shadow of a rose, when the rose itself is still living.
In the third quatrain, the poet asks why his beloved should continue to live in the situation where nature, bankrupt itself, has to rely on him (the beloved) for sustenance. The image is one of Nature the devourer of the beloved's youth and beauty, Nature, who has already consumed many (proud of many).
In the final couplet, the poet suggests that nature is conserving his beloved to show an example of how things used to be in better times.
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