O, that you were yourself! but, love, you are
No longer yours than you yourself here live:
Against this coming end you should prepare,
And your sweet semblance to some other give.
So should that beauty which you hold in lease
Find no determination: then you were
Yourself again after yourself’s decease,
When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.
Who lets so fair a house fall to decay,
Which husbandry in honour might uphold
Against the stormy gusts of winter’s day
And barren rage of death’s eternal cold?
O, none but unthrifts! Dear my love, you know
You had a father: let your son say so.
Line 1: “O, that you were yourself! but, love, you are”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- O, that you were yourself! – I wish you could remain truly yourself forever.
- But, love, you are – But, my dear, you are not truly your own.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare opens with a wistful lament, expressing his wish that the young man could remain unchanged and truly be himself forever.
However, he immediately contradicts this hope—the young man’s identity and beauty are temporary, bound by the limits of life and time.
The use of “love” suggests both affection and an appeal to reason, as Shakespeare once again encourages the young man to think about his legacy.
Line 2: “No longer yours than you yourself here live:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- No longer yours – You do not own yourself permanently.
- Than you yourself here live – Only for as long as you live.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare argues that a person does not own themselves indefinitely—life is temporary, and when death comes, one’s identity disappears.
This reflects the Renaissance belief in the fleeting nature of life and the idea that true immortality comes through lineage.
Line 3: “Against this coming end you should prepare,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Against this coming end – In preparation for your inevitable death.
- You should prepare – You must take action to secure your legacy.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
The poet urges the young man to prepare for death, not by fearing it, but by ensuring that his beauty and essence live on.
This echoes the theme of procreation as a means of defying time.
Line 4: “And your sweet semblance to some other give.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Sweet semblance – Your beautiful appearance.
- To some other give – Pass it on to a child.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare suggests that the only way to preserve beauty is to pass it on to the next generation.
This reinforces the idea that physical beauty is temporary, but it can survive through one’s descendants.
Line 5: “So should that beauty which you hold in lease”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Hold in lease – Borrowed temporarily (not owned permanently).
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare likens the young man’s beauty to a lease—it does not belong to him forever but is merely loaned to him by nature.
This reflects the Elizabethan understanding of mortality, where life and youth were seen as transient gifts rather than permanent possessions.
Line 6: “Find no determination: then you were”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Find no determination – Never come to an end.
- Then you were – Then you would still exist.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
If the young man has children, his beauty will not end—it will be reborn in his offspring.
This idea of continuity through generations aligns with Shakespeare’s repeated emphasis on lineage and legacy.
Line 7: “Yourself again after yourself’s decease,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Yourself again – A version of you will still exist.
- After yourself’s decease – Even after you die.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare argues that by having children, the young man will metaphorically live on—his features, essence, and lineage will be carried forward.
This creates a paradox: he may die physically, but a part of him remains immortal through his descendants.
Line 8: “When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Sweet issue – Your beloved children.
- Sweet form should bear – Should carry your beauty.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare reinforces that a child is a reflection of their parent, ensuring that the young man’s beauty and essence survive beyond death.
This highlights the poet’s belief that true immortality is through procreation rather than individual preservation.
Line 9: “Who lets so fair a house fall to decay,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- So fair a house – A noble lineage or beautiful family.
- Fall to decay – Be abandoned and left to ruin.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare compares the young man’s lineage to a grand house, arguing that failing to have children is like letting a magnificent home collapse.
This metaphor suggests that one’s family and legacy should be maintained just as one would preserve a beautiful estate.
Line 10: “Which husbandry in honour might uphold”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Husbandry – Careful management (also related to farming and cultivation).
- In honour might uphold – Could be preserved with dignity.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
This line emphasizes that proper care (in this case, through having children) ensures that one’s legacy endures.
The word “husbandry” also has an agricultural connotation, reinforcing the idea of nurturing and cultivating life.
Line 11: “Against the stormy gusts of winter’s day”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Stormy gusts of winter’s day – The hardships of aging and death.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Winter often symbolizes death and decay, and here, Shakespeare warns that without preparation, one’s beauty and lineage will be lost to time.
This continues the metaphor of life as a cycle, with youth as summer and old age as winter.
Line 12: “And barren rage of death’s eternal cold?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Barren rage – Lifeless and destructive force.
- Death’s eternal cold – The permanent state of death.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Death is portrayed as a merciless, cold force, stripping away everything unless steps are taken to preserve one’s legacy.
The contrast between life’s warmth and death’s cold reinforces the urgency of Shakespeare’s plea.
Line 13: “O, none but unthrifts! Dear my love, you know”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Unthrifts – Wasteful people, those who squander opportunities.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare criticizes those who fail to secure their legacy, calling them wasteful.
He shifts to a personal, intimate tone (“Dear my love”), emphasizing the emotional weight of his argument.
Line 14: “You had a father: let your son say so.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- You had a father – You come from a lineage.
- Let your son say so – Ensure that you continue the lineage.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
The poet ends with a powerful reminder—just as the young man owes his existence to his father, he too should pass on his legacy to a son.
This final plea ties together the sonnet’s central message:
- Life is temporary.
- Beauty fades.
- The only way to defy time is to reproduce.
Final Thoughts on Sonnet 13:
Shakespeare continues his procreation-themed sonnets, urging the young man to secure his beauty and legacy through children.
The imagery of leases, houses, and nature reinforces that everything in life is temporary unless actively preserved.
Summary
In Sonnet 13, Shakespeare urges the young man to recognize that his beauty is not permanent—it is merely on lease from nature. Since he cannot hold onto it forever, he should prepare for his inevitable death by passing on his beauty through offspring.
The speaker uses legal and financial metaphors, comparing life to a lease that will eventually expire. The only way to maintain his “sweet semblance” after death is through children, who will inherit and carry forward his likeness.
The poem also uses a house as a metaphor for legacy—wise people do not let a beautiful home fall into ruin, just as a man should not let his beauty perish without an heir. Shakespeare concludes with an appeal to tradition, reminding the young man that he had a father and urging him to continue the cycle by having a son.
Critical Analysis
1. The Impermanence of Beauty and Life
- The young man’s existence is temporary, as he is only himself for as long as he lives.
- Shakespeare reminds him of his mortality, urging him to plan for the future.
- “Beauty which you hold in lease” emphasizes that youth and beauty are borrowed, not owned, and will eventually be reclaimed by time.
This aligns with the Renaissance preoccupation with transience—a theme that runs through many of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
2. The Importance of Procreation
- The sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s procreation sequence, where he argues that the young man can achieve a form of immortality through his children.
- The phrase “your sweet issue your sweet form should bear” reinforces the idea that a child can preserve his beauty.
This reflects Elizabethan ideals about family legacy—a child was seen as the continuation of a parent’s existence.
3. The House as a Metaphor for Legacy
- The “house” represents lineage and inheritance. Just as wise homeowners maintain their property, people should ensure their beauty and essence are preserved through descendants.
- Letting a house decay symbolizes wasting one’s potential by not producing an heir.
This metaphor appeals to a sense of duty, suggesting that allowing one’s lineage to end is a form of neglect.
4. The Final Plea – Appealing to Tradition
- The poem’s last line is particularly powerful:
- “You had a father: let your son say so.”
- It reminds the young man that he exists because of his father—so why should he not continue this cycle?
- This emotional appeal makes procreation seem like an obligation rather than a choice.
Themes
1. Mortality and the Fleeting Nature of Youth
- Shakespeare emphasizes that life is temporary, and beauty fades.
- The young man’s only chance at lasting impact is through his descendants.
2. Procreation as Immortality
- The idea that having children ensures a kind of eternal life runs through many of Shakespeare’s early sonnets.
- A child can carry on not only one’s physical features but also their legacy and memory.
3. Duty and Responsibility
- The speaker argues that one has a duty to continue their lineage.
- This reflects Elizabethan societal values, where producing an heir was a responsibility, not just a personal choice.
4. The House as a Symbol of Preservation
- A house is a metaphor for family legacy—it should be maintained rather than abandoned.
- Shakespeare suggests that neglecting to have children is as foolish as allowing a fine home to decay.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor – Beauty as a Lease
- “Beauty which you hold in lease” → Beauty is not owned; it is borrowed and must eventually be returned.
- This reinforces the urgency—if something is on lease, it will expire.
2. Metaphor – House as a Family Line
- “Who lets so fair a house fall to decay” → Compares the young man’s legacy to a house.
- A well-maintained house represents continuity through generations.
- A neglected house symbolizes a life wasted by refusing to reproduce.
3. Personification – Death as a Cold, Unyielding Force
- “Barren rage of death’s eternal cold” → Death is portrayed as a stormy, destructive force that can only be resisted by leaving a legacy.
4. Alliteration – Emphasizing Key Ideas
- “Sweet semblance,” “sweet form should bear” → The repetition of “s” sounds softens the tone, reinforcing the idea that procreation is a beautiful and natural act.
5. Direct Address – Making the Argument Personal
- The poem directly speaks to the young man with “O! that you were yourself!”
- This creates urgency, making the argument feel immediate and personal.
Conclusion
Sonnet 13 continues Shakespeare’s plea for the young man to secure his legacy through procreation. The poem presents life as a temporary lease, urging the young man to ensure his beauty does not perish with him.
Using metaphors of financial contracts, houses, and storms, Shakespeare strengthens his argument, appealing to duty, tradition, and logic. The final couplet is especially powerful, framing the act of having children as not just a personal choice, but an obligation to the cycle of life.
By the end of the sonnet, Shakespeare leaves no room for argument—to refuse procreation is to deny both nature and legacy.
