Sonnetsday 14

Queen Elizabeth with a sieve.
H Y M N E  I V. TO THE MONETH OF MAY.
E L I S A B E T H A R E G I N A	ACH day of thine, sweet moneth of May, oue makes a solemne holy-day. will performe like duty, ith thou resemblest euery way stræa, Queen of beauty, oth you fresh beauties do pertake, ither's aspect doth Summer make, houghts of young Loue awaking ; earts you both doe cause to ake, nd yet be pleas'd with akeing. ight deare art thou, and so is shee, uen like attractiue sympathy, aines vnto both like dearenesse ; weene this made Antiquitie ame thee, sweet May of Maiestie, s being both like in clearnesse.

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Sir John Davies, one of Queen Elizabeth's courtiers, wrote a whole collection of sonnets to the Virgin Queen, entitled Hymns to Astræa, (lat. for 'Star') one of the more popular flattery-names for Elizabeth, (cf. Sidney's 'Astrophil and Stella', 'Starlover and star'). These Renaissance boys got really good at kissing hiney, I tell ya.

Tags: Sonnets | Shakespeare