William Shakespeare
1564-1616
Sonnet LXXXIV
Who is it
that says most, which can say more,
Than this rich praise,--that
you alone, are you?
In whose confine immured
is the store
Which should example
where your equal grew.
Lean penury within
that pen doth dwell
That to his subject
lends not some small glory;
But he that writes
of you, if he can tell
That you are you,
so dignifies his story,
Let him but copy what
in you is writ,
Not making worse what
nature made so clear,
And such a counterpart
shall fame his wit,
Making his style admired
every where.
You to
your beauteous blessings add a curse,
Being
fond on praise, which makes your praises worse.
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