Sonnet 9/IX "Is it for fear"

Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye
That thou consums't thyself in single life?
Ah, if thou issueless shalt hap to die,
The world will wail thee like a makeless wife,
The world will be thy widow and still weep,
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
When every private widow well may keep,
By children's eyes, her husband's shape in mind.
Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it,
But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,
And, kept unused, the user so destroys it.
No love toward others in that bosom sits
That on himself such murd'rous shame commits.


Quatrain 1

1 Is it / for fear / to wet / a wi/dow's eye >
2 That thou / consums't / thyself / in si/ngle life?
3 Ah, // if / thou is/sueless / shalt hap / to die,
4 The world / will wail / thee // like / a make/less wife.

Quatrain 2

5 The world / will be / thy wi/dow and / still weep,
6 That thou / no form / of thee / hast left / behind,
7 When e/v'ry pri/vate wi/dow well / may keep,
8 By chil/dren's eyes, / her hus/band's shape / in mind.

Quatrain 3

9 Look what / an un/thrift in / the world / doth spend
10 Shifts but / his place, // for still / the world / enjoys it,
11 But beau/ty's waste / hath in / the world / an end,
12 And, kept / unused, // the u/ser so / destroys it.

Couplet

13 No love / toward o/thers in / that bo/som sits >
14 That on / himself / such mur/d'rous shame / commits.