Sonnet Eighty-seven

Sonnet eighty-seven seems to be a last, desperate attempt on the part of the speaker to win over the boy, all the while trying to say a last good-bye to him.  The speaker puts themselves down in order to talk up the boy and to try to appeal to him.  They put the boy on a pedestal while simultaneously tearing themselves apart.  This technique is applied often in real life, with results being relatively unsuccessful in most cases.  A person tries to tear apart their own worth to try to get the other to notice them in their sorry state.  This idea of worth is also portrayed in Shakespeare’s use of financial terms throughout the sonnet.  Amongst these words are charter, bond, granting, and patent, all of which have ties to financial dealings.  This can further the idea of worth in the reader’s head, making them think of not only the figurative worth of this person, but the tangible worth and wealth of them as well.  The reader may not only need the boy emotionally, but to continue supporting him financially as well.