Sonnet 7

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Sonnet 7 by William Shakespeare Lo! in the orient when the gracious light Lifts up his burning head, each under eye Doth homage to his new-appearing sight, Serving with looks his sacred majesty; And having climb'd the steep-up heavenly hill, Resembling strong youth in his middle age, yet mortal looks adore his beauty still, Attending on his golden pilgrimage; But when from highmost pitch, with weary car, Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day, The eyes, 'fore duteous, now converted are From his low tract and look another way: So thou, thyself out-going in thy noon, Unlook'd on diest, unless thou get a son.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Analysis 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Synopsis

When the sun rises everyone admires it, even as it reached maturity in the middle of the day, but as it declines people turn their attention elsewhere. The same will happen to you unless you have a child.

[edit] Analysis

This sonnet introduces new imagery, comparing the Youth to a morning sun, looked up to by lesser beings. But as he grows older he will be increasingly ignored unless he has a son to carry forward his identity into the next generation. The poem draws on classical imagery, common in art of the period, in which Helios or Apollo cross the sky in his chariot - an emblem of passing time.

[edit] See also

Shakespeare's sonnets

[edit] External links

• Paraphrase of sonnet in modern language
• Analysis of the sonnet