Shakespeare Commentary

Fong Vang

Ms.Peifer

English 10 IB

February 23, 2009

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 besmear’d 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-obvious 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 life in this, and dwell in lover’s eyes.

Sonnet 55

The theme of this sonnet was to show how love is beautiful. How love can never be destroyed over time. Love is something that lives forever.
According to Shakespeare love is something that can last till the end of all humanity. Shakespeare also uses the literary devices like rhyme, and mood.
Time will never effect how love feels to Shakespeare. 

Shakespeare talks about how beautiful love is and it can never die out. In his sonnet he says “Not marble, nor the gilded monuments

Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;” (Shakespeare 1-2). Shakespeare compares his sonnet with marbles and monuments, on how it will live as long as humanity lives, and how love is stronger then anything. Shakespeare uses an iambic pentameter through the entire sonnet. Shakespeare reinforces himself by saying “Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn, The living record of your memory.”(Shakespeare 7-8). In here he talks about how no man, fire or even the god of mars can destroy love because no matter what, love is to powerful.

Shakespeare is a man of words; he uses rhyme and mood in his sonnet to keep the reader interested. Rhyme made his sonnet easier to read, more simple and basic. With mood he can suddenly change one persons thought and convince one to change emotions. Also he presented rhyme scheme in his sonnet because that’s how it’s suppose to be written, with the basic rhythm of AB, AB, CD, CD, EF, EF, GG.

“So, till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this, and dwell in lover’s eyes.”(Shakespeare 13-14). In his last lines he talks about how until you rise, love will always be with you. He makes it rhyme because of the rhyme scheme, and also his last words make you remember the about how strong, beautiful, powerful love truly is. Throughout the sonnet he uses mood to smooth things around, he doesn’t express any madness, or publicity. He makes the reader feel welcome that love is beautiful, telling them that it will be with them eternally never leaving your side. This brings back Shakespeare’s main theme of his sonnet, which love is beautiful, powerful and strong.

Overall the main theme of this whole sonnet was love. Shakespeare says that love is beautiful. Not even wars and destruction can bring an end to love. Love is something that cannot be controlled because it's a special feeling that only lovers share. Shakespeare’s true meaning of his sonnet was to say that love is forever lasting. Not even time itself can stop love, because no matter where you’re at or live, love will always be there. “Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room, Even in the eyes of all posterity” (Shakespeare 10-11). In this quote Shakespeare is saying even if you pace yourself moving forward, no matter what you still find yourself in a room with love.

Lastly Shakespeare achieves his main purpose by letting all readers know that love is something that would never die out. Also that love is more powerful then any person or thing out there. He also believes that no matter where you are love is never far away.