Sonnet 84

Of the sonnet's so far, this poem is particularly difficult to derive a meaning from. It makes a description of ideal individuals in the opening lines, those slow to temptation and the injury of others, as being worthy of the greatest riches and honors. There is the assertion that they are the sole determining factors of their fates, and all other beings are to be not more than servants and underlings in light of their superiority. in the last few lines this poem turns into a cautionary with a series of striking lines. It describes a flower being infected, and in so occurring, the flower is more undesirable than a weed. The purpose of these lines, most likely, were to warn the young man of succumbing to temptations and the behavior of lowly individuals, because in effect he would be no better than those evil people if not worse because he was once so pure. In truth the whole cautionary aspect of this poem is a bit hypocritical and ironic, because it was Shakespeare himself who once urged the young man to procreate at all costs, a detestable action if ever there was one.