When I Was Fair and Young

"When I Was Fair and Young" describes Queen Elizabeth I's outlook on her love life. As a queen she has to be very cautious about romance because marrying herself is also marrying her kingdom. This poem tells a story of how when the queen was young she was adored by all but loved none, when the queen grows older she uses "the son of Venus" or Cupid, as an example of her emotions being struck and switched. It is saddening to think that the queen could not love or be loved because she was at risk of trickery due to her position.