Day 17: I want to live my life in seconds.

Today marked my completion of Shakespeare's Sonnet 17, the last of the so-called "procreation poems," in which he tries to convince an anonymous young friend of his to find a wife and have children, that his legacy may live on. While I am a bit relieved that this theme is passing, I have also gained an appreciation for the numerous ways in which Shakespeare manages to communicate this same message in sonnet after sonnet. In this last one, he urges his young friend to have a child so that people in future generations will see the son's or daughter's beauty, and know that Shakespeare was not lying in his constant flattery of his addressee. The poet also argues that the legacy of one's children outlives even that even of poetry. In honor of this last "reproduction request," I have included a reading of the sonnet, as well as its complete text, below.


Sonnet 17
Who will believe my verse in time to come,
If it were fill'd with your most high deserts?
Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb
Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say 'This poet lies:
Such heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces.'
So should my papers yellow'd with their age
Be scorn'd like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be term'd a poet's rage
And stretched metre of an antique song:
   But were some child of yours alive that time,
   You should live twice; in it and in my rhyme.

At lunchtime, we took our cousin Resham to Pentagon City Mall before dropping her off at Union Station. There, we got to meet her friend Ashank -- a senior at UVA -- and hear some of his entertaining stories about life as an intern in an investment bank! On our way back to Vienna, we swung by the main office of Sasha Bruce so I could show Priya and Papa where I work. I showed them around with pride, and they loved the area, which already feels like home to me!!

After a quick haircut, we met up with Laura and headed to Tysons for satiation, singing, and shopping. We had a great night, made all the more appreciable after our hectic week. Tomorrow promises to be not quite so relaxing, but certainly just as enjoyable!

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