Sonnet 7: “Like feeble age he reeleth from the day”

Lo in the Orient when the gracious light

Lifts up his burning head, each under eye

Doth homage to his new appearing sight,

Serving with looks his sacred majesty;

And having climb’d the steep up heav’nly hill,

Resembling strong youth in his middle age,

Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,

Attending on his golden pilgrimage.

But when from high-most pitch with weary car,

Like feeble age he reeleth from the day,

The eyes (’fore duteous) now converted are

From his low tract and look another way.

     So thou, thy self out-going in thy noon,

     Unlook’d on diest unless thou get a son.

“I imagine W. trying to catch Y.M. off guard in Sonnet 7. Y.M. is sitting, just relaxing. “Let me tell you a story,” W. seems to say, in the beginning of the sonnet. It appears to be just a beautiful story, at first. And then, as the sun reeleth from the day and the eyes look another way, Y.M. gets suspicious—maybe he raises an eyebrow. Then comes the couplet.

“I hear an even gentler plea than in Sonnet 6. “You don’t want to be forgotten like the setting sun, do you? I wouldn’t want that for you. Won’t you consider marrying and having an heir? I really do care about you.” How does Y.M. react? Is he charmed? Is he disarmed? Does he feel cheated? Does he say to W., “I thought this was just going to be a lovely sonnet, at last. And there you went, badgering me about getting married and having a child—again. Do you really care about me or do you have other motives for your incessant pestering? Is someone putting you up to this?” At this point, it’s hard for us to judge.”

—Shakespeare’s Sonnets Among His Private Friends, p. 30-31 (publication date 10/1/21)