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 vilest 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 beautifully melancholic sonnet by William Shakespeare, Sonnet 71, reflects the universal theme of love and mortality. The speaker, contemplating his own death, asks his beloved not to mourn his passing, expressing a depth of selflessness and concern for the well-being of his loved one. The exquisite use of language and the emotional depth contained within these lines resonate across centuries, making this sonnet a timeless piece of literature. The poet’s plea for the cessation of mourning after his departure, and the desire for his beloved to remember him without causing sorrow, evoke a poignant and bittersweet sentiment that continues to captivate readers to this day.