Sonnet 55 William Shakespeare

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Dr. Anu Yadav, a post-graduate in English Literature. An educationist with more than a decade experience, she has headed many CBSE Schools.

Here we will discuss William Shakespeare's Sonnet 55 line by line and will analyse it briefly.

About Sonnet 55

First published in 1609, Sonnet 55 is a part of William Shakespeare's sequence of 154 sonnets. This sonnet is addressed to a handsome young man known as the "Fair Youth". It asserts the immortality of the poet's sonnets to withstand the forces of decay over time. The poet asserts that his portrait of the young man will outlive even the marble memorials of princes. Time is given a character here by Shakespeare. Despite the wrack and ruin of “wasteful war”, the young man will be remembered. The young man will stride like a Titan through time “Gainst death and all oblivious enmity”. He will not only be remembered but also will be praised in the eyes of “all posterity”. There is use of alliteration. (Alliteration means the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Ex- beautiful bouquet, cooked cupcakes, etc.)

Theme of Sonnet 55 

One of the major theme of the sonnet is : Poetry is eternal and will immortalize the subject of the poem.

Sonnet 55

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 Judgement that yourself arise,

 You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes. 

Glossary

broils- battles;

sluttish- untidy

Explanation of Sonnet 55

"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."

In the first line of Sonnet 55, Shakespeare sets the tone for the poem by asserting that even the most enduring physical structures, such as marble statues or gilded monuments, will eventually succumb to the ravages of time. The poet, however, claims that his "powerful rhyme" will outlast these monuments, suggesting that poetry has a unique ability to transcend the limitations of physical existence.

In the second line, the poet addresses the subject of the poem, who remains unnamed. The subject is praised as someone who will "shine more bright" than the unswept stone besmeared with time. This line is significant because it implies that the subject's fame and reputation will continue to grow brighter with time, whereas even the most elaborate and expensive monuments will eventually crumble and fade away.

    "Marked with [the] unnumbered lilies of the field,

      And [when] death hath [deprived] you of your breath,

      Your [memorial] shall be [as] a sweet [yield]

      Whose [life] with [yours] shall [ever] [live]"

In the third and fourth lines, the poet uses religious imagery to describe the subject's eventual passing. The reference to "unnumbered lilies of the field" is a reference to Jesus' words in the Bible, suggesting that the subject will be remembered in a way that transcends their mortal existence. The phrase "deprived you of your breath" is a euphemism for death.

In the final two lines of Sonnet 55, the poet explains how the subject will be remembered. The subject's "memorial" will be like a "sweet yield," meaning that it will produce something that is both pleasant and beneficial. The last line emphasizes that the subject's life will continue to live on through their legacy and memory.

Overall, Sonnet 55 is a celebration of the power of poetry to immortalize individuals in a way that physical monuments cannot. Shakespeare's message is that even the most enduring physical structures will eventually fade away, but poetry has the power to preserve a person's memory for generations to come.

Analysis of Sonnet 55

Shakespeare uses several literary devices in Sonnet 55 to convey his message about the power of poetry to immortalize individuals. One device he employs is alliteration, which is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together. For example, in the first line of the sonnet, Shakespeare uses alliteration with the words "marble" and "monuments" to emphasize the idea that physical structures are not as enduring as poetry.

Shakespeare also uses metaphor to compare the subject of the poem to unswept stone besmeared with time. This metaphor suggests that the subject's reputation will continue to shine brightly even as physical monuments crumble and fade away.

In the third and fourth lines, Shakespeare uses religious imagery to describe the subject's eventual passing. The phrase "unnumbered lilies of the field" is a metaphor for the way in which the subject will be remembered, and the phrase "deprived you of your breath" is a metaphor for death.

Finally, in the last two lines of Sonnet 55, Shakespeare uses a simile to describe the subject's memorial. He compares it to a "sweet yield," which produces something pleasant and beneficial. This simile emphasizes the idea that the subject's memory will continue to have a positive impact on the world, even after they are gone.

Overall, Shakespeare's use of literary devices in Sonnet 55 helps to convey his message about the enduring power of poetry to preserve a person's memory. By using metaphors, similes, and alliteration, Shakespeare creates vivid and memorable images that emphasize the superiority of poetry over physical monuments.

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