Sonnet Lxxi: Who Will In Fairest Book

Sir Philip Sidney

Who will in fairest book of nature know
How virtue may best lodg'd in beauty be,
Let him but learn of love to read in thee,
Stella, those fair lines which true goodness show.
There shall he find all vices' overthrow,
Not by rude force, but sweetest sovereignty
Of reason, from whose light those night-birds fly;
That inward sun in thine eyes shineth so.
And, not content to be perfection's heir
Thyself, dost strive all minds that way to move,
Who mark in thee what is in thee most fair.
So while thy beauty draws thy heart to love,
As fast thy virtue bends that love to good:
But "Ah," Desire still cries, "Give me some food!" 

Next 10 Poems

• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Lxxxiv: Highway
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet V: It Is Most True
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Vi: Some Lovers Speak
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Vii: When Nature
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Viii: Love, Born In Greece
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet X: Reason
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Xcii: Be Your Words Made
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Xi: In Truth, Oh Love
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Xii: Cupid, Because Thou
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Xiii: Phoebus Was Judge

Previous 10 Poems

• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Lxiv: No More, My Dear
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Ix: Queen Virtue's Court
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Iv: Virtue, Alas
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Iii: With How Sad Steps
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet Ii: Not At First Sight
• Sir Philip Sidney : Sonnet I: Loving In Truth
• Sir Philip Sidney : Song To The Tune Of 'non Credo Gia Che Piu Infelice Amante.'
• Sir Philip Sidney : Song To The Tune Of 'basciami Vita Mia.'
• Sir Philip Sidney : Song From Arcadia
• Sir Philip Sidney : Song