William Shakespeare
1564-1616

Sonnet C

Where art thou Muse that thou forget'st so long,
To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?
Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,
Darkening thy power to lend base subjects light?
Return forgetful Muse, and straight redeem,
In gentle numbers time so idly spent;
Sing to the ear that doth thy lays esteem
And gives thy pen both skill and argument.
Rise, resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey,
If Time have any wrinkle graven there;
If any, be a satire to decay,
And make time's spoils despised every where.
    Give my love fame faster than Time wastes life,
    So thou prevent'st his scythe and crooked knife.
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This border is a reproduction of

Frans Hals'

(1580-1666) 
Singing Boy with a Flute
1627, oil on canvas, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
Carol Gerten's Fine Art http://metalab.unc.edu/cgfa/

Click here for the directory of my backgrounds based on art.