Sonnet 71

No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world with vildest worms to dwell;
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it, for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot,
If thinking on me then should make you woe.
O if (I say) you look upon this verse,
When I (perhaps) compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan,
And mock you with me after I am gone.

This one might even work as a consolation speech during a breakup. I dunno. Someone give it a try and let me know how it went.

P.S. I couldn’t help but look up vildest in the etymology dictionary… and it wasn’t there! But this site says it’s just a “variant form” of vilest.

Photo by ChaTox.