When forty winters shall beseige thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field,
Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now,
Will be a tatter’d weed, of small worth held:
Then being ask’d where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,
To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes,
Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserved thy beauty’s use,
If thou couldst answer ‘This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,’
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
     This were to be new made when thou art old,
     And see thy blood warm when thou feel’st it cold.

Analysis
Sonnet 2 is a procreation sonnet that emphasizes the ruin of age, and how the beauty of the subject’s youth could be preserved in a child.

Shakespeare’s beloved is clearly handsome, and much desired. But he stresses that beauty will not last, and that it is selfish and foolish for the young man not to prepare for the loss of his youth. He will become like a “tattered weed” unless he reproduces. People will ask where his beauty has gone; the only way he can truly prepare is to have a son who can carry on his name and wonderful qualities, including his unsurpassed beauty. Therefore when the man described is old, his heir will be young, his debt to society paid, and his beauty renewed.

Will’s Wordplay
The beginning of this sonnet is a military metaphor. Here, the young man’s enemy is time, and he is depicted wearing his own youthfulness as proudly as one would wear a uniform,or “livery”.

The “tatter’d weed” evokes an aging garment (the youth’s livery in the above line).

Thriftless: unprofitable.

“Shall sum my count and make my old excuse” means that the youth’s heir will settle his debt to society and justify his aging.

Isham Park, Manhattan
You may not have even heard of this little gem, but Isham Park is a 20-acre historic park located in the Inwood section of Manhattan in New York City. The park was created through a gift of the Isham family in 1912-1916 and later expanded by New York City in 1925 and 1927.

Its western border once extended to the Harlem River but after the development of Inwood Hill Park and reconfiguration of area streets the boundary became, for all practical purposes, Seaman Avenue. Isham Park has its southern boundary at Isham Street. For part of its length Broadway is the eastern boundary, but from about West 214 Street Park Terrace East is the boundary. The park’s northern end is at the equivalent of West 214 Street, which here is a long flight of stairs. There are two apartment buildings between these stairs and West 215 Street. The park is cut in two by Park Terrace West.[1]

The Isham mansion, which originally came with the park gift, was torn down in the 1940s due to its deteriorating condition.[1]

Isham Park is noted at its southern end for some exposed marble outcroppings which date from the Cambrian period. This is a popular location for college geology classes to visit. There is a public garden in the northeastern corner. Much of the rest of the park has trees and brush growing in a rather wild manner.

The Park is popular with families with small children who appreciate the park’s rolling topography and quiet nature. Ball games and other sports are discouraged in Isham Park and the park serves as a serene, more passive neighbor to the many facilities of Inwood Hill Park.

References
1. “Isham Park – Historical Sign”. New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved 2010-07-19.

ACTOR – Cheryl Blaylock
Cheryl Blaylock’s award-winning documentary feature, In Vienna They Put You in Jail: The Max Birnach Story is distributed by Cinema Guild www.cinemaguild.com. Her company, Kalamazoo Gal Pictures, has produced documentaries, tributes, promos and weddings. Cheryl has worked extensively in film and television as a puppeteer, her favorite characters include Frederica in Blue’s Room (spinoff of Blue’s Clues), Eureeka in Eureeka’s Castle and many characters on Sesame Street. She recently coached and co-directed Avenue Q at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre. With the Jim Henson Company, she designed, built and performed the Muppets, winning an Emmy for her work on Sesame Street. She has acted on stage, television and film in various projects from drama to commercials to cartoon voices. Sonnet #2 marks her first venture into Shakespeare’s canon. She is represented by Abrams Artists Agency.

DIRECTOR- Cheryl Blaylock
Cheryl Blaylock’s award-winning documentary feature, In Vienna They Put You in Jail: The Max Birnach Story is distributed by Cinema Guild www.cinemaguild.com. Her company, Kalamazoo Gal Pictures, has produced documentaries, tributes, promos and weddings. Cheryl has worked extensively in film and television as a puppeteer, her favorite characters include Frederica in Blue’s Room (spinoff of Blue’s Clues), Eureeka in Eureeka’s Castle and many characters on Sesame Street. She recently coached and co-directed Avenue Q at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre. With the Jim Henson Company, she designed, built and performed the Muppets, winning an Emmy for her work on Sesame Street. She has acted on stage, television and film in various projects from drama to commercials to cartoon voices. Sonnet #2 marks her first venture into Shakespeare’s canon. She is represented by Abrams Artists Agency.