The speaker in sonnet 26 acknowledges his duty to write poems. His talent is his Lord, and he promises to perform his duty without becoming boastful.
First Quatrain: Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage
The reader has witnessed in early sonnets how the speaker at times addresses his poems and at other times address his ability to write poems. In sonnet 26, it is the latter: the speaker addresses his talent as “Lord of my love.”
In the first quatrain, the speaker tells his God-given talent that he is sending this poem to confirm the fact that he accepts the duty his writing talent places upon him. He is not just writing these clever little verses to show off his intelligence; he is writing out of a true call to duty that his talent requires of him.
Second Quatrain: Duty so great, which wit so poor as mine
The speaker admits humbly that he has no special intelligence; as a matter of face, his claims his “wit” is “poor.” And compared to great duty imposed upon him by his talent in creating verse, his wit seems “bare.” But he invokes the presence of this spiritual gift in hopes that its “good conceit” will inspire him to create despite his lacking “words to show it.”
He refers to “thy soul’s thought” as being “all naked” which indicates that the very heart of the living presence that bestows his talent is not dressed up with material colors and textures, but is pure because it is unadorned. And his invocation is like a prayer as he supplicates for guidance in using his talent for pure purposes.
Also, as the reader has seen before, the speaker professes that his talent and his love are identical. Therefore, that he addresses his God-given talent as “Lord of my love” becomes even more understandable.
Third Quatrain: Till whatsoever star that guides my moving
After calling for divine direction, the speaker then submits that he will need such guidance until he can safely maneuver without it or until the “star that guides my moving / Points on me graciously with fair aspect.” The speaker tries to remain utterly humble, never taking credit alone for his creations. Instead of his own hand, he credits his “star” with putting “apparel on my tatter’d loving / To show me worthy of thy sweet respect.”
Even though the speaker acknowledged that he has this writing talent, he can never feel that he alone is the creator. As he quietly and surreptitiously avers that his talent comes from the Divine Spirit or God, he never overtly names God, but does name God’s divine agents such as the stars.
The Couplet: Then may I dare to boast how I do love thee
After the speaker has been the beneficiary of God’s grace and guidance and through the divine maneuvering of the stars, if he can show himself “worthy of [God’s] sweet respect,” then he may boast to the world of his love of Spirit that has invested in him a special talent. But until such time as he can display perfectly his divine gift, he will not “show [his] head.” For so doing, he would open himself to divine retribution, if he were wrong.
Other articles on Shakespeare: Who is Shakespeare?
Sonnet Commentaries: Sonnet 1, Sonnet 2, Sonnet 3, Sonnet 4, Sonnet 5, Sonnet 6, Sonnet 7, Sonnet 8, Sonnet 9, Sonnet 10, Sonnet 11, Sonnet 12, Sonnet 13, Sonnet 14, Sonnet 15, Sonnet 16, Sonnet 17, Sonnet 18, Sonnet 19, Sonnet 20, Sonnet 21, Sonnet 22, Sonnet 23, Sonnet 24, Sonnet 25, Sonnet 116, Sonnet 126, Sonnet 130, Sonnet 138
