Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws,

Will play the tyrants to the very sameAnd that unfair which fairly doth excel;For never-resting Time leads summer onTo hideous winter and confounds him there,Sap checked with frost and lusty leaves quite gone,Beauty o’ersnowed and bareness everywhere.Then, were not summer’s distillation leftA liquid prisoner pent in walls of glass,Beauty’s effect with beauty were bereft,Nor it…

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,And look upon myself, and curse my fate,Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,Featured like him, like him with friends possest,Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,With what I most enjoy contented least;Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising–Haply I think on thee: and then…

That this huge stage presenteth nought but showsWhereon the stars in secret influence comment;When I perceive that men as plants increase,Cheered and check’d even by the selfsame sky,Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,And wear their brave state out of memory;Then the conceit of this inconstant staySets you most rich in youth before my…

And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemedNot by our feeling, but by others’ seeing:For why should others’ false adulterate eyesGive salutation to my sportive blood?Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,Which in their wills count bad what I think good?No, I am that I am, and they that levelAt my abuses reckon…

Full many a glorious morning have I seenFlatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye,Kissing with golden face the meadows green,Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy;Anon permit the basest clouds to rideWith ugly rack on his celestial face,And from the forlorn world his visage hide,Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace:Even so my sun one early morn…

Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame,Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,Enjoy’d no sooner but despised straight,Past reason hunted, and no sooner hadPast reason hated, as a swallow’d baitOn purpose laid to make the taker mad;Mad in pursuit and in possession so;Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme;A bliss in proof, and proved,…

Sets down her babe and makes all swift dispatchIn pursuit of the thing she would have stay,Whilst her neglected child holds her in chase,Cries to catch her whose busy care is bentTo follow that which flies before her face,Not prizing her poor infant’s discontent:So runn’st thou after that which flies from thee,Whilst I, thy babe,…

To make me give the lie to my true sight,And swear that brightness doth not grace the day?Whence hast thou this becoming of things ill,That in the very refuse of thy deedsThere is such strength and warrantize of skillThat, in my mind, thy worst all best exceeds?Who taught thee how to make me love thee…

Doth part his function, and is partly blind,Seems seeing, but effectually is out;For it no form delivers to the heartOf bird, of flower, or shape which it doth latch;Of his quick objects hath the mind no part,Nor his own vision holds what it doth catch;For if it see the rud’st or gentlest sight,The most sweet-favour…

But not to tell of good, or evil luck,Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons’ quality,Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell;Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,Or say with princes if it shall go wellBy oft predict that I in heaven find.But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,And constant stars in them…

And found such fair assistance in my verseAs every alien pen hath got my useAnd under thee their poesy disperse.Thine eyes, that taught the dumb on high to singAnd heavy ignorance aloft to fly,Have added feathers to the learned’s wingAnd given grace a double majesty.Yet be most proud of that which I compile,Whose influence is…

That this huge stage presenteth nought but showsWhereon the stars in secret influence comment;When I perceive that men as plants increase,Cheered and check’d even by the selfsame sky,Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,And wear their brave state out of memory;Then the conceit of this inconstant staySets you most rich in youth before my…