The line "nor dare I question with my jealous thought" implies that he has considered that jealousy will raise doubts in his head and might drive his love to madness.

The Speaker is referring to himself as the slave again and is diminishing himself by implying no one would love so low and asking the fair youth to clear his mind of all thoughts of him.

It follows the form's typical rhyme scheme, abab cdcd efef gg and is composed in iambic pentameter, a type of poetic metre based on five pairs of metrically weak/strong syllabic positions.

[6] In this particular sonnet, the couplet acts as a summary of the basic sentiment of silent and stifled desire that fill the lines of the poem.

[8] Booth also remarks upon the rhymes present throughout the sonnet and states, "Note the incidental rhyme-like relationship of the very different functions performed by 'Nor think', 'think of nought' and 'thinks no ill'.

[10] Upon further analysis Booth also cites an undertone of forbidden love (reminiscent of Petrarch's signature poetry) and discusses the many double meanings present throughout the sonnet.

Schalkwyk goes on to say "This declaration of abject powerlessness (i.e. aforementioned slavery) pushes the notion of vassalage away from that of feudal reciprocity toward a commonplace early modern conception of the servant as utterly, submissive, silent and undemanding".

Schalkwyk seems to make the point that during this period servitude was not viewed then as we view it today, but as something quietly accepted, linking to Shakespeare's "servitude" to the Fair Youth as something he is not resentful of, simply accepting the fact that as the speaker his rank in society was less than the addressee and that his position as a "servant" or "slave" to the Fair Youth was nothing more than a simple fact.

Rodney Poisson builds on this idea of an unequal relationship theme that seems to link through many of Shakespeare's sonnets but may be most notably seen in the Fair Youth strand.

[12] Poisson makes the point that though Shakespeare may write the sonnets conscious of a class difference the character at least "lacks the compensation of any acknowledged superiority."

Poisson seems to view any relations toward the Fair Youth as most possibly platonic, brotherly love, rather than other critics suggest that it is more of a homoerotic love on the part of the speaker, and that is why the reference to slavery (being some sort of sexual reference) helplessness, and meekness on part of the speaker despite his advanced age and supposed wisdom.