Sonnet 101
O truant Muse, what shall be thy amends
truth
poetry
time
beauty
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.
What It Means
More recrimination directed at the Muse. The defense is interesting: truth doesn't need to be colored with any art, so maybe the Muse is forgiven for not writing anything. But the counter-argument wins: time will age the young man. The Muse must write to preserve what time will take. Truth needs verse as a vehicle, even if it doesn't need embellishment.
Context
Part of the Fair Youth sequence, continuing the return-to-poetry group.
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