The canker galls the infants of the spring,
Too oft before their buttons be disclosed.
– William Shakespeare
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3. Laertes is warning his sister Ophelia away from her relationship with Hamlet and what he believes is his inappropriate behavior. Using metaphor, he compares Hamlet to a canker worm that will ruin the flower of Ophelia’s youthful chastity before it blossoms.