Sonnet Reflection: 1

This sonnet is our first look into the dynamic between Mr. W.H. and the speaker (who could be Shakespeare, but we can't be sure of this).  This sonnet is encouraging Mr. W.H. to put his beauty to good use and have a child.  Line 1 says "From fairest creatures we desire increase".  This can be interpreted to mean a number of things.  I think it means that as humans, we have a natural desire to want more of what is beautiful.  Shakespeare's words are urging the young man to produce offspring so that the beauty that he has can be shared with the world through his child.  He refers to the man as "the world's fresh ornament", speaking yet again to his beauty.  He finishes with saying "Pity the world, or else this glutton be, To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee."  By this he means that he needs to be selfless and have a child, and if he doesn't then he is being selfish.  If he is not sharing his beauty with the world, then it is simply a shame.