Shakespeare's Sonnets - Sonnet 6

Shakespeare penned 154 sonnets that were included in his 1609 'quarto'. These sonnets delve into themes like the flow of time, death, affection, aestheticism, unfaithfulness, and envy. The initial 126 sonnets are dedicated to a young male, while the final 28 are directed towards an enigmatic 'dark lady'.

In Sonnet 6, Shakespeare continues to explore the themes of beauty, procreation, and the passage of time, urging the young man not to be a "spendthrift" of his beauty by keeping it to himself. He encourages the young man to have a child, thus making a "copy" of himself that will preserve his beauty against the ravages of time. Shakespeare uses financial metaphors to underscore the idea that by not procreating, the young man is wasting a precious resource—his beauty—which should be shared and passed down to future generations. The poet reassures the young man that by having a child, he is not giving away his beauty, but rather is preserving it in a living testament that will survive long after his own physical beauty has faded away.

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Performed by Barnaby Falls
Artwork by Barnaby Falls
Music: Healing, sleep and meditation by Reiki