Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
‘Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.
Analysis
Sonnet 55 is about the perseverance of adoration, saved inside the expressions of the poem itself. It will outlast material things, for example, terrific royal residences, regal structures and fine, formed stone; it will outlast war and time itself, even to day of atonement.
This is on the grounds that the lyric will dependably be a ‘living record’, the memory of adoration will remain alive inside the work, no matter what. The impacts of time, the dangerous powers of war – they mean nothing.
This thought, of affection, memory and soul being kept alive in the composed word, is old and backpedals at any rate to Ovid in his Metamorphoses.
Shakespeare was without a doubt roused by this however his poems are still covered in puzzle. We know he kept in touch with them when England was experiencing social and religious confusion in the late sixteenth century yet researchers have no reasonable thought who he thought of them for.
Is it safe to say that he was specifically motivated by the reasonable youth and the dull woman? Or, then again would they say they were made for sovereignty and those blue-bloods who supported plays? Are the poems just crafted by a sensational writer in affection with adoration itself and who had perused Ovid, Horace and Homer and different works of art?
They are positively adore pieces however precisely which kind of adoration is interested being referred to – the Greeks had eight distinct words for every part of affection, among them Eros (sexual enthusiasm) and Agape (cherish for everybody).
Work 55 is an inquisitive blend of both. It could well be motivated by a close companion of the poet’s. Similarly, it could point to a god – say Venus – or the soul of that goddess inside a genuine male or female.
Moreover, Sonnet 55 is a Shakespearean or English poem, having 14 lines made up of three unmistakable quatrains and an end couplet: Rime, Repetition and Alliteration.
The rhyme plot is ababcdcdefefgg and the end rhymes are for the most part full, for instance:
rhyme/time, room/fate, emerge/eyes.
This full rhyme helps tie the poem together and keep a tight hang on content. Inside there is similar sounding word usage and sound similarity which bring surface and an assortment of sounds for the peruser:
Line 1 : Not…nor/marble…monuments: Strangely this poem begins off with a negative, the modifier not, acquainting the peruser with consider what isn’t essential in life, which is fine stone and made stonework. Note the twofold similar sounding word usage and the inference to terrific castles. This is predictable rhyming, five feet of unstressed at that point focused on syllable, English verse’s most predominant (meter in USA). Shakespeare utilizes it a great deal in his pieces yet in addition blends it up with spondee and trochee – keep an eye out for the progressions. Note likewise the enjambment, the primary line carrying on straight into the second, no accentuation.
Line 2 : sovereigns/outlive….powerful: So the stone work is illustrious, or if nothing else, has a place with a youthful imperial male. Is this a piece of information with respect to who the poem is composed for? Another youthful male, however not a sovereign? Or, on the other hand is this nonspecific imperial stone? Whichever way this material doesn’t get the chance to outlast the energy of this verse. Again poetic pattern is to the fore, with sound similarity and similar sounding word usage in prove.
Line 3: should sparkle/brilliant: The third line enables the peruser to place things in context since now there is a man or figure involved…you might shine…in the substance of the ballad, which will persevere. Note the similar sounding word usage again and the trochee which comes as an astonishment after the consistent iambics – yet substance is articulated with the weight on the con – and leaves a female consummation with enjambment.
Line 4 : stone…sluttish: Time is here given a physical quality, uncommonly, and the word sluttish is related with the universe of prostitutes and questionable ethics. The recommendation is that material things in the long run progress toward becoming dirtied and debased however that this won’t occur to the individual. Normal iambics returns. Note the unmistakable quality of the letter s. Besmear is to cover with a sticky or oily substance.
Line 5 : When inefficient war…shall statues: Begin of the second quatrain taking the peruser into the battle region, with a prompt full on alliterative opening picture – the symbols are falling as the consistent versifying musicality echoes that of walking infantry.
Line 6 : sears root out..of/stone work: The war against property proceeds in the 6th line. Sear means mayhem and tumult, likewise fights, and root out is to get to the base of or uncover, so more savagery is communicated here, gone for the stonework again, never mankind. The minor departure from a subject of the letter o is no place preferred exemplified over in this line.
Line 7 : Nor/sword nor war’s….his/speedy: The god Mars enters the shred, traditional Roman divine force of war. Venus was his associate. A parallel with the opening negative Not, nor places accentuation on what the sword and speedy fire can’t do. An awe inspiring line, each word a solitary syllable, the entire line a delight to peruse as the anaphora (rehashed word or expression) of Nor Mars….nor war’s is a resound nearly of the combat zone. Once more, unadulterated iambics with enjambment for good measure, easily taking the peruser to the following line.
Line 8 : record/your/memory: Regardless of the brutality of future war and military strife, what will win is the positive about you, so alive in memory.
Line 9 : unmindful/ill will: Acclaim proceeds in the third quatrain, the speaker obviously proclaiming that even passing and insensible threatening vibe won’t remain in his sweetheart’s way. Line 9 is a test in light of the fact that the iambics are not exactly as clear and the syllabics of all-negligent hatred request cautious consideration from the peruser. You can check ‘Against demise and all-unaware hostility as an entire eleven syllables (‘Against passing and all-ob-liv-I-ous ill will) which progresses toward becoming 4 iambs and a dactyl or standard ten syllables (‘Against passing and all-oblivious animosity) which moves toward becoming 4 iambs and a pyrrhic.
Line 10 : pace/praise…forth/your…shall/still: Onwards and upwards is the life message, there will dependably be space enough for regard and appreciation. One of the most grounded, self-assured lines, looking to the future with incredible energy. A line of single syllables and similar sounding word usage all wrapped up in measured rhyming. Basic, powerful.
Line 11 : Even…eyes: This third quatrain floods with compliments and forecasts. Future ages will look on you with deference. Note the change from versifying to trochaic in the principal foot, offering accentuation to the line.
Line 12 : wear…world: In this way, there is no mixing up the slant here. Ages may inevitably convey the world to a tired stop, yet still the affection, regard and acclaim will remain. Doom is scriptural in birthplace, as is Judgment Day which seems later on in the piece. General iambics and similar sounding word usage convey the third quatrain to a slick end.
Line 13: So, till the judgment that yourself arise: Also, to finish up, until the day of judgment (when christians ascend, through Jesus Christ) you will be alive in the sonnet.
Line 14:You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.: The question of the speaker’s appreciation, be it the reasonable youth, the youthful master, the flawless kid, Venus, Love itself lives on in the piece itself, and also according to your adoration.
Commentary:
Here are some additional points that could be made when analyzing the sonnet:
The Power of Art: In the second quatrain, the speaker compares the power of his poetry to that of a physical monument, arguing that his verses will outlast even the most enduring stone. This emphasis on the power of art and its ability to transcend time is a recurring theme in Shakespeare’s sonnets and other works.
Love and Immortality: The speaker’s argument that his verses will “give life to thee” suggests that his love for the addressee will be immortalized through his poetry. This theme of love and immortality is also present in other sonnets, such as Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”), in which the speaker promises that his beloved will live on forever through his verses.
The Transience of Life: While the speaker argues that his poetry will endure, he also acknowledges the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. This theme is particularly evident in the final couplet, in which the speaker concedes that “nothing ‘gainst Time’s scythe can make defence” and that ultimately, all things, even his verses, will be “consumed” by time.
Poetic Devices: The essay briefly touches on the use of metaphor in the sonnet, but there are several other poetic devices at work in the poem. For example, the use of repetition (e.g. “bare ruined choirs” in line 9) and alliteration (e.g. “brave day” in line 7) contribute to the sonnet’s musicality and emphasize certain words and ideas.
Historical Context: Finally, it is worth considering the historical context in which the sonnet was written. Sonnet 55 was likely written in the early 1600s, a time of great political and social change in England. The sonnet’s emphasis on the power of art and the transience of life may reflect Shakespeare’s own anxieties about the uncertainty of the times.