Shakespeare states “From fairer creatures we desire to grow, that thus the rose of beauty may never die, . . his tender heir may carry his memory. Shakespeare is trying to convince the recipient to have children so that his beauty will continue to live on. Sonnet XVIII ends with Shakespeare writing that "As long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long does this live and give life to you." The last couplet of Sonnet XVII says: "But if any son of yours were alive at that time, you should live twice, in it and in my rhyme." The beauty and memory of the subject will continue to exist in the world through Shakespeare's writing and if he did