Sonnet 101, by NY Shakespeare Exchange

O truant Muse what shall be thy amends
For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed?
Both truth and beauty on my love depends;
So dost thou too, and therein dignified.
Make answer Muse: wilt thou not haply say,
'Truth needs no colour, with his colour fixed;
Beauty no pencil, beauty's truth to lay;
But best is best, if never intermixed'?
Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb?
Excuse not silence so, for't lies in thee
To make him much outlive a gilded tomb
And to be praised of ages yet to be.
     Then do thy office, Muse; I teach thee how
     To make him seem, long hence, as he shows now.

Sonnet 101, from The Sonnet Project, by the New York Shakespeare Exchange.

At first listening and reading, I find myself focusing most on the sonnet itself - its words, meter and meaning.  In this respect, the speaker speaks with his Muse, that much is apparent.  But who is the he whom he speaks about?  It may be the speaker himself, who in turn may be Shakespeare who longs to be known and praised for ages.

Jennifer Lim is the lady here and obviously the speaker.  But the he must be Confucius, which makes for an extraordinarily provocative interpretation of the sonnet.