Student Name
Professor Obermeier
ENG 200
28 February 2001

He's Only Kidding, Right?: Warnings in Shakespeare's "Sonnet 95."

William Shakespeare is the master of subtle humor and sexual puns. In his "Sonnet 95," a poem to a blond young man, both are seen while pointing out a couple of realities about sexual sin. He speaks directly to a young man whose physical beauty compensates for his lack of sexual morality.
Shakespeare would like for this young man to realize that his handsomeness is the sole aspect of his person that prevents absolute disapproval of his behavior in other people, and he also wants him to be aware of the ultimate consequences of his actions. Through a clever use of diction, imagery, and meter in a typical Shakespearian format, Shakespeare warns his young friend of the risks involved with the overindulgence of sexual activity.

In the first quatrain, Shakespeare presents the young man to the readers by contrasting his beauty and his character. He tells the young man that he renders "shame" (1) "sweet and lovely" (1). That is, he is much too handsome to be overshadowed by his questionable conduct. His "shame" may not be a dominant trait, but it does sneak around behind the scenes "like a canker"
(2). A canker is a nasty internal ulceration, or growth; it is a flaw that cannot be seen in an otherwise beautiful object, such as a "fragrant rose"
(2). This flaw in the young man, sexual vice, may "spot" (3), or taint his image later on in his life, as he is still "budding" (3); he is still young, and there is plenty of time for his reputation to be completely damaged by his sexual impropriety. This young man is indeed beautiful and he is lucky to have such "sweets" (4) in which to hide his "sins" (4). Shakespeare opens his poem with very oxymoronic imagery, such as loveliness and