haiku, haiku-year, poems, poetry, sonnet

”O truant Muse”

Make answer for your
leave, Muse. For beauty and truth
are tied to my love. 1

© rl busséll 2019 – All rights reserved

  1. O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends — Sonnet CI – William Shakespeare ↩
Sonnet CI

    O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends
    For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed?
    Both truth and beauty on my love depends;
    So dost thou too, and therein dignified.
    Make answer, Muse: wilt thou not haply say
    'Truth needs no colour, with his colour fix'd;
    Beauty no pencil, beauty's truth to lay;
    But best is best, if never intermix'd?'
    Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb?
    Excuse not silence so; for't lies in thee
    To make him much outlive a gilded tomb,
    And to be praised of ages yet to be.
    Then do thy office, Muse; I teach thee how
    To make him seem long hence as he shows now.  - William Shakespeare

Standard