When wasteful war shall statues overturn, And broils root out the work of masonry, Nor Mars his sword nor wars quick fire. Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time. The interpretations of them collectively, however, the theories of their nature and purport collectively, differ widely." David Masson. Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme But you shall shine more bright in these contents.
"All now agree that the Sonnets are a collection of almost matchless interest, a legacy from Shakespeare at once strange and precious, - nothing less, in fact, than a preserved series of metrical condensations, weighty and compact as so many gold nuggets, of thoughts and feelings that were once in his mind. Rolfe (1883) 'Sonnet 55,' in Shakespeare. Versions of Sonnet 55 include: 'Sonnet 55,' in Shakespeares Sonnets, (ed.) by William J. One of the 154 sonnets by Shakespeare from the collection Shakespeares Sonnets (1609). Radical, when a word or root of some general meaning is employed with reference to diverse objects on account of an idea of some similarity between them, just as the adjective 'dull' is used with reference to light, edged tools, polished surfaces, colours, sounds, pains, wits, and social functions and Poetical, where a word of specialized use in a certain context is used in another context in which it is literally inappropriate, through some similarity in function or relation, as 'the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune', where 'slings' and 'arrows', words of specialized meaning in the context of ballistics, are transferred to a context of fortune." Percival Vivian. sister projects: Wikipedia article, Wikidata item. The Earl of Southampton: Shakespeare's PatronĪlchemy and Astrology in Shakespeare's DayĪre Shakespeare's Sonnets Autobiographical?Īre all the Sonnets addressed to two Persons?Ī Look at Metaphors. King James I of England: Shakespeare's Patron Stratford School Days: What Did Shakespeare Read? You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes. Muses, I oft invoked your holy aid, With choicest flowers my speech to engarland so. Look at how the ‘live’ within ‘outlive’ in the second line resurfaces in ‘ liv ing’ (‘living record’), which then paces forth into ‘ob liv ious’ in the next line, before returning for one final encore in ‘live in’ in the poem’s final line. So, till the judgment that yourself arise, The watchword of Sonnet 55 is ‘live’: what will survive of our love is this poem (to adapt Philip Larkin). That wear this world out to the ending doom. Shall you pace forth your praise shall still find room Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme, But you shall shine more bright in these contents. Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn When wasteful war shall statues overturn, Than unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time. Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme īut you shall shine more bright in these contents Shakespeare Sonnet 55 - Not marble, nor the gilded monuments