Sonnet 9
When the world had made a lover of thee
Who knows, when thou canst be a husband?
When a man begets no child, what hope is there?
And if I am so vain, I will not marry.
Will that I am a child, what to be?
And will I have any child? I will marry.
I have to know, who is a man?
No more of the world, I can say.
I shall be a man with a boy who knows the
Love I have. But there is no man to see me
Will not see me. But who knows?
But, if I am a man, I shall be a man.
If there be any love, a child of a man.
Summary
- Sonnet 9 is a passionate plea urging the Fair Youth to marry and have children. The speaker fears the Youth’s self‑absorption will lead to a tragic loss for both himself and for the world.
- At its heart the poem explores the theme of legacy and the importance of procreation to preserve the Youth’s beauty and name.
- It presents a complex argument about the destructive power of selfishness, the vital role of love, and the need for continuity in a world where all things fade.
In‑Depth Analysis
The Central Argument: A Plea for Procreation
The poem immediately establishes its core concern in the opening line, posing a rhetorical question: “When the world had made a lover of thee…”. This isn’t a question about sympathy for widows, but a pointed inquiry into the Youth’s motivations for remaining unmarried. The speaker suggests a fear of causing sorrow, then turns this around to highlight the greater sorrow of leaving no heir. The word “consumest” is deliberate, implying a wasting away of potential, a self‑imposed decline. The use of “single life” isn’t simply about marital status, but about a life devoid of continuation.
The World as Widow: Personification and Dramatic Impact
Shakespeare masterfully employs personification to amplify the poem’s emotional weight. The lines “The world will wail thee like a makeless wife / The world will be thy widow and still weep” are particularly striking. By portraying the world as a grieving widow, the speaker elevates the loss beyond a personal tragedy. It becomes a universal lament for beauty lost, a collective sorrow for potential unrealized. This personification underscores the far‑reaching consequences of the Youth’s selfishness and frames the issue as a loss for all mankind.
The Power of Legacy: Children as Remembrance
The contrast between individual and collective grief is highlighted further in the lines “When every private widow well may keep / By children’s eyes, her husband’s shape in mind.” While individual widows find solace in the living memory of their husbands through their children, the Youth will leave behind only emptiness. This comparison emphasizes the importance of progeny as a means of preserving memory and ensuring that beauty does not vanish completely. The children’s eyes become a mirror reflecting the past, offering a continuation of the husband’s essence.
The Analogy of the Spendthrift: Waste and Renewal
The poem takes a turn in the final quatrain, shifting from emotional appeal to logical argument. The analogy of the “unthrift” (spendthrift) is crucial. The lines “Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend / Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it” suggest that even wasteful spending ultimately benefits the world by circulating resources. However, this principle does not apply to beauty. Unlike material wealth, beauty diminishes when it is not shared and perpetuated.
Beauty’s Ephemeral Nature: The Inevitability of Decay
The lines “But beauty’s waste hath in the world an end / And kept unused the user so destroys it” are a poignant statement about the fragility of beauty. The phrase “beauty’s waste” is deliberately ambiguous. It can refer to the loss of beauty through aging or the senseless waste of potential. The poem asserts that beauty, unlike material possessions, cannot be hoarded. It must be shared, replicated, and passed on to future generations to survive. If it is kept “unused,” it will ultimately diminish and disappear, destroying the very source of beauty itself – the “user” being the beautiful individual.
The Final Condemnation: Selfishness as “Murd’rous Shame”
The poem concludes with a powerful condemnation of the Youth’s self‑absorption. The lines “No love toward others in that bosom sits / That on himself such murd’rous shame commits” elevate the act of remaining childless to a moral failing. The term “murd’rous” is a hyperbole that emphasizes the destructive consequences of selfishness, framing it as a kind of slow, self‑inflicted death of potential. By prioritizing his own desires over the continuation of his lineage, the Youth commits a “shame” that is both personal and societal.
Literary and Poetic Devices
Assonance and Consonance
Shakespeare skillfully uses assonance and consonance to create musicality and emphasize certain themes. For instance, the repetition of the short “i” sound in “When the world had made a lover of thee” creates a melancholic tone, highlighting the sadness associated with loss. Similarly, the repeated “th” sound in “That thou consumest thine self” draws attention to the theme of self‑destruction. The repetition of the “s” sound in “Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it” creates a sense of continuity and the cyclical nature of life.
Metaphor and Personification
The poem is rich in metaphors and personification. The “world” as a “widow” is a prime example of personification, giving human qualities to an inanimate object to emphasize the extent of the loss. The analogy of the spendthrift is a metaphor, comparing the Youth’s unused beauty to wasted wealth to highlight the importance of sharing and perpetuation.
Shakespearean Sonnet Form
Sonnet 9 adheres strictly to the conventions of the Shakespearean (or English) sonnet form. It consists of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The structure allows Shakespeare to develop his argument in a logical and persuasive manner. The final couplet serves as a concise and impactful conclusion, summarizing the poem’s central message.
Conclusion
Sonnet 9 is a masterful exploration of the themes of legacy, beauty, and selfishness. Through vivid imagery, persuasive arguments, and skillful use of poetic devices, Shakespeare urges the Fair Youth to embrace procreation and ensure the continuation of his loveliness. The poem remains relevant today as a timeless meditation on the importance of love, continuation, and the enduring power of beauty.