Sweetness refers to the universal and direct flavor of a poem, not to a mandatory tone. The narrator reminds the reader that verses should speak both "the bites and kisses of love," (line 15). The extended metaphor of sweetness also symbolizes the nourishing aspect of poetry, as the narrator longs for "eatable sonnets," (line 16).

In the fourth stanza, the narrator reminds the reader of the corruption of poetry. The fourth stanza therefore alludes to the first. "Vanity," notes the narrator, leads to "deep and useless" endeavors (lines 18; 20). In attempting vainglorious works of art, a poet forgets "the joyous / love-needs of our bodies," (lines 22, 23). The body's love-needs refers to all the visceral desires felt by the everyday person. Furthermore, the poet who relies on the "harsh machinery" mentioned in the first stanza is also "not feeding the world," (line 25). Here, the narrator reiterates the...
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