Sonnet 2 Reflection

I feel that the first quatrain would have been very powerful to the boy. The imagery created in the idea of time carving wrinkles like trenches into the young man’s forehead would have had quite the impact. Shakespeare then almost taunts the young man, saying that he would not be able to prove that he had ever been beautiful. After all, he would have no line that carries his beauty on for him as a reference. Again, Shakespeare is trying to convince Mr. WH to begin a family. I have to wonder whether or not the young man listened to Shakespeare’s incessant prods to marry and have children. I imagine that as time goes on the warning would get old and more irritating than anything. Perhaps he thought this from the start and the sonnets are actually counter-productive. I imagine that we wouldn’t ever be given a hint of whether or not they seem to be working until later in the sonnets.