What is your substance, whereof are you made, That millions of strange shadows on you tend? Since every one, hath every one, one shade, And you but one, can every shadow lend: Describe Adonis and the counterfeit, Is poorly imitated after you, On Helen's cheek all art of beauty set, And you in Grecian tires are painted new: Speak of the spring, and foison of the year, The one doth shadow of your beauty show, The other as your bounty doth appear, And you in every blessed shape we know. In all external grace you have some part, But you like none, none you for constant heart.

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# Step 1. Overall Theme and Structure

The poem is a Shakespearean sonnet that reflects on beauty, imitation, and uniqueness. It addresses a beloved or an admired object, asking what material “substance” it possesses that enables it to cast so many “shadows”—or copies and reflections—of its beauty. The poem compares its addressee with classical images of beauty and nature, ultimately asserting that while many may share traces of external beauty, none can share the inner, unchanging and constant heart of the subject.

# Step 2. Analysis of Each Quatrain

### Lines 1–4

- **Line 1:**  
  $$ 	ext{“What is your substance, whereof are you made,”} $$  
  The speaker opens with a question about the nature or material essence of the addressee. This metaphorical query suggests a curiosity about the inner qualities that make one truly beautiful.

- **Line 2:**  
  $$ 	ext{“That millions of strange shadows on you tend?”} $$  
  Here, “shadows” symbolize the many copies or variations of the addressee’s beauty found in the world. The speaker is fascinated by how the original beauty gives rise to countless imitations or reflections.

- **Lines 3–4:**  
  $$ 	ext{“Since every one, hath every one, one shade,\quad And you but one, can every shadow lend:”} $$  
  These lines continue to develop the metaphor by suggesting that while every thing (or person) reflects a particular “shade” of beauty, the addressee is unique—a single source from which an infinite variety of beauties (shadows) seem to emanate.

### Lines 5–8

- **Line 5:**  
  $$ 	ext{“Describe Adonis and the counterfeit,”} $$  
  The speaker introduces Adonis—a classical symbol of beauty—and mentions “the counterfeit,” implying that even the most legendary beauty has imitations in the world.

- **Line 6:**  
  $$ 	ext{“Is poorly imitated after you,”} $$  
  Even when compared to the beauty of Adonis, these imitations fall short. The addressee is the standard by which all other beauty is measured, suggesting superiority.

- **Line 7:**  
  $$ 	ext{“On Helen's cheek all art of beauty set,”} $$  
  Referencing Helen (of Troy), whose beauty is famously legendary and the cause of great consequence (as in the saying “the face that launched a thousand ships”), the poem asserts that true beauty is traditionally exemplified in such imagery.

- **Line 8:**  
  $$ 	ext{“And you in Grecian tires are painted new:”} $$  
  The addressee is compared to classical Grecian art—revered and constantly renewed. The phrase “Grecian tires” (adornments) stresses that the depiction of beauty in art is refreshed and reimagined through the image of the addressee.

### Lines 9–12

- **Line 9:**  
  $$ 	ext{“Speak of the spring, and foison of the year,”} $$  
  The poem shifts from art and myth to nature, evoking the freshness of spring and the plenitude (“foison”) of the year. Spring, as a season of renewal, becomes a metaphor for beauty’s emergence.

- **Line 10:**  
  $$ 	ext{“The one doth shadow of your beauty show,”} $$  
  Here, one aspect of nature (spring) reflects or “shadows” the beauty of the addressee, hinting at the idea that natural beauty, though vivid, is but a pale mimicry of the true source of beauty.

- **Line 11:**  
  $$ 	ext{“The other as your bounty doth appear,”} $$  
  The “foison of the year” is associated with abundance or bounty, which in turn is linked to the richness and generosity of the addressee’s nature.

- **Line 12:**  
  $$ 	ext{“And you in every blessed shape we know.”} $$  
  The addressee is celebrated as the embodiment of every form of external grace known to the world. Their beauty is both universal and all-encompassing.

# Step 3. Analysis of the Couplet

### Lines 13–14

- **Line 13:**  
  $$ 	ext{“In all external grace you have some part,”} $$  
  The speaker acknowledges that the addressee indeed contains parts of every form of external beauty—a mosaic of attractive features.

- **Line 14:**  
  $$ 	ext{“But you like none, none you for constant heart.”} $$  
  Despite possessing a combination of all external beauties, the addressee is unique because of a constant, unchanging heart or inner core. This final assertion emphasizes that while many things can imitate or reflect beauty outwardly, the inner essence remains unmatched and is what truly defines lasting beauty.

# Step 4. Final Summary

The sonnet uses vivid metaphors and classical allusions to explore the contrast between transient, imitative beauty and the enduring, original essence of the subject’s inner self. While nature, art, and myth all contribute fragments of beauty, the addressee remains the unrivaled source—a singular, constant heart that gives life and authenticity to all things that are merely shadows or reflections.

The poem is a Shakespearean sonnet that celebrates the unique beauty of the addressee. It uses metaphors and classical references to show that while many things can imitate beauty, the addressee is the original source of true, unchanging beauty.

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