Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend (Sonnet IV): Shakespeare
'Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend' is a beautiful sonnet by William Shakespeare. It is sonnet no. IV. The complete sonnet is as follows:
Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spendUpon thy self thy beauty's legacy?
Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend,
And being frank she lends to those are free:
Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?
Profitless usurer, why dost thou use
So great a sum of sums, yet canst not live?
For having traffic with thy self alone,
Thou of thy self thy sweet self dost deceive:
Then how when nature calls thee to be gone,
What acceptable audit canst thou leave?
Thy unused beauty must be tombed with thee,
Which, used, lives th' executor to be.