Sonnet 126: O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power

William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)



O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power
Dost hold Time's fickle glass his fickle hour;
Who hast by waning grown, and therein show'st
Thy lovers withering, as thy sweet self grow'st.
If Nature, sovereign mistress over wrack,
As thou goest onwards, still will pluck thee back,
She keeps thee to this purpose, that her skill
May Time disgrace, and wretched minutes kill.
Yet fear her, O thou minion of her pleasure!
She may detain, but not still keep her treasure.
    Her audit, though delayed, answered must be,
    And her quietus is to render thee.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 24, 2023

30 sec read
61

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDAAEE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 546
Words 98
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 12

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". more…

All William Shakespeare poems | William Shakespeare Books

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    "Sonnet 126: O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/41425/sonnet-126:-o-thou,-my-lovely-boy,-who-in-thy-power>.

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