Half-mockingly, Astrophel asks Stella why she prefers her dog to him. He possesses all of the same qualities that the dog has and, in fact, would go further with each quality. While the dog loves, Astrophel burns with love. Though the dog may wait well, Astrophel will wait forever, never moving again. The dog may fetch a glove for her, but Astrophel will fetch his very soul to give to her. Yet, despite Astrophel's superiority, Stella still prefers the dog and allows him to sit in her lap and kiss her lips. Astrophel declares that if he were allowed to kiss her lips even once, he would abandon his wit.
Analysis: The sonnet is made up of a series of possible causes, each rejected in turn because Astrophel believes he possesses the virtue to a superior degree than Stella's pet dog. In the end, however, the only real difference between Astrophel and Stella's dog is wit. The entire sonnet is itself a logical demonstration of Astrophel's wit. Even as he assures Stella that he would gladly give up his wit for her, he reminds her (and the readers) that his wit is responsible for the humor and persuasive power of the poem; the offer is double-edged.