thesis for sonnet 65

Shakespeare's Sonnets

By william shakespeare, shakespeare's sonnets summary and analysis of sonnet 65 - "since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea.

What's he saying?

"Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, / But sad mortality o'ersways their power,"

Since nothing in the whole world can survive forever,

"How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, / Whose action is no stronger than a flower?"

How could something as delicate as beauty survive?

"O! how shall summer's honey breath hold out, / Against the wrackful siege of battering days,"

How could summer last forever,

"When rocks impregnable are not so stout, / Nor gates of steel so strong but Time decays?"

When things as strong as rocks and steel gates are victims to Time?

"O fearful meditation! where, alack, / Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?"

Where can I hide the beauty of youth so that it does not die?

"Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? / Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?"

How can I prevent the ravages of time?

"O! none, unless this miracle have might, / That in black ink my love may still shine bright."

Nothing will work against time except my poems, in which my beloved will be immortalized.

Why is he saying it?

Sonnet 65 continues the theme of the two sonnets preceding it, addressing the passage of time with the similar approach of how it destroys all earthly things. Sonnet 64 discusses the "lofty towers I see down-raz'd," the "brass" which is "eternal slave to mortal rage," or a victim to war, and the destruction of "the kingdom of the shore" by the "hungry ocean." Here again, "brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea" can escape the ravages of time.

Line 3 asks, "How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea," characterizing beauty as the plaintiff in a legal dispute. Time is thus characterized as an unfair tyrant, against which delicate beauty stands no chance in court. The legal terminology is continued in the following line with the use of the word "action." The idea of time's "rage" links Sonnet 65 to the previous sonnet. In Sonnet 64, "brass" is described as an "eternal slave to mortal rage." The term "rage" in association with time is also seen in Sonnet 13, which refers to the "barren rage of death's eternal cold."

Lines 6-8 present a metaphor of the seizure of a city, which would be the final destruction of war. In line 6, "the wrackful siege of battering days," refers to ruin and destruction with the term "wrackful," while "siege" implies the taking of a city. "Battering" calls to mind a battering ram, which is a huge beam of wood swung against the gates of a city to break them down and allow the attacking army to enter. The "rocks impregnable" in line 7 refer to the city's walls, which were thought to be impenetrable, and the "gates of steel" in line 8 are the gates of the besieged city.

Lines 10-12 pose three questions, which are answered in the final couplet. In line 10, "Time's best jewel" refers to the beauty of youth, and "Time's chest" is the place where Time eventually hides all youth: a coffin. Line 11's question, "Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?" suggests that Time has a "swift foot," or moves quickly, unstopped by even a strong hand held up helplessly against it. Line 12 asks how it is possible to stop time from destroying youth.

Sonnet 63 uses the same idea of the physical quality of the black ink being transformed into something alive: "His beauty shall in these black lines be seen, / And they shall live, and he in them still green." The word "green" implies youth or newness, as in the greenness of springtime. In the final couplet of Sonnet 65, the poet hopes, "That in black ink my love may still shine bright." In this case, the hope that the love will "still shine bright" is a comparison to the sun, which time obscures with clouds.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Shakespeare’s Sonnets is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Summary of sonnet 18

Here the theme of the ravages of time again predominates; we see it especially in line 7, where the poet speaks of the inevitable mortality of beauty: "And every fair from fair sometime declines." But the fair lord's is of another sort, for it...

Part A In Sonnet 12 (“When I do count the clock that tells the time”), what do the images of passing time make the speaker wonder about the person he addresses? a. Will that person’s beauty fade? b. Will that person’s fame endure? c. d. Will that person a

a. Will that person’s beauty fade?

What is the message of Sonnet 18?

Shakespeare's main message is that which will fade in life (beauty) can be immortalized in verse.... his poetry will live forever.

Study Guide for Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Shakespeare's Sonnets
• Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary
• Character List

Essays for Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of various sonnets by William Shakespeare.

• Colonial Beauty in Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella" and Shaksespeare's Sonnets
• Beauty, As Expressed By Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
• From Autumn to Ash: Shakespeare's Sonnet 73
• Dark Beauties in Shakespeare's Sonnets and Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella"
• Human Discrepancy: Mortality and Money in Sonnet 146

Lesson Plan for Shakespeare’s Sonnets

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Shakespeare's Sonnets
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Shakespeare's Sonnets Bibliography

E-Text of Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets e-text contains the full text of Shakespeare's Sonnets.

Wikipedia Entries for Shakespeare’s Sonnets

• Introduction
• The quarto of 1609

Sonnet 65: Since Brass, Nor Stone, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless Sea

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o’ersways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? O! how shall summer’s honey breath hold out, Against the wrackful siege of battering days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout, Nor gates of steel so strong but Time decays? O fearful meditation! where, alack, Shall Time’s best jewel from Time’s chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid? O! none, unless this miracle have might, That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

Sonnet 65 in modern English

Since neither brass nor stone nor earth nor the limitless ocean can resist the power of mortality, how could beauty have a chance of resisting its force when beauty’s power is no stronger than that of a flower? Oh, how could the sweet-smelling breath of summer hold out against the fierce attack of war-like time when invulnerable rocks are not strong enough, nor steel gates firm enough, to resist its decaying force? Oh, terrifying thought! Where, oh where could time’s finest jewel be hidden from time itself? Or what strong hand could slow time down? Or who is there to forbid its destruction of your beauty? Oh, no-one unless this miracle should happen: that the one I love will continue to shine brightly in black ink.

Watch Sir Patrick Stewart read Shakespeare’s sonnet 65

The 1609 Quarto sonnet 65 version

SInce braſſe,nor ſtone,nor earth,nor boundleſſe ſea, But ſad mortallity ore-ſwaies their power, How with this rage ſhall beautie hold a plea, Whoſe action is no ſtronger then a flower? O how ſhall ſummers hunny breath hold out, Againſt the wrackfull ſiedge of battring dayes, When rocks impregnable are not ſo ſtoute , Nor gates of ſteele ſo ſtrong but time decayes? O fearfull meditation , where alack, Shall times beſt Iewell from times cheſt lie hid? Or what ſtrong hand can hold his ſwift foote back, Or who his ſpoile or beautie can forbid ? O none,vnleſſe this miracle haue might, That in black inck my loue may ſtill ſhine bright.

See the British Library’s 1609 Quarto .

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Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets Shakescleare Translation

Shakespeare's Sonnets Translation Sonnet 65

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o'ersways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? O how shall summer’s honey breath hold out Against the wrackful siege of batt'ring days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout, Nor gates of steel so strong but time decays? O fearful meditation! Where, alack, Shall time’s best jewel from time’s chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? Or who his spoil or beauty can forbid? O none, unless this miracle have might, That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

Since brass nor stone nor earth nor the uncontained sea, Can help being over-powered by sad mortality, Given this destruction how can beauty survive, Who is no stronger than a flower? Oh how can summer's honey breath hold out Against the destructive siege of battering days , When invincible rocks are not so hard, Nor gates of steel strong enough to withstand decay over time? What a frightening thought! Where, alas, Will time's most prized gem escape being put away in time's jewelry box ? What strong hand can hold back time's quick steps? Who can prevent his spoiling of beauty? None, unless this miracle is powerful enough That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

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Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea (Sonnet 65)

Add to anthology.

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea But sad mortality o'er-sways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out Against the wreckful siege of battering days, When rocks impregnable are not so stout, Nor gates of steel so strong, but time decays? O fearful meditation! where, alack, Shall time's best jewel from time's chest lie hid? Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?     O, none, unless this miracle have might,     That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

This poem is in the public domain.

More by this poet

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (sonnet 130).

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight

Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene I [O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth]

Antony speaks over Caesar's body

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I [The quality of mercy is not strained]

The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

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Sonnet 65 Poem by William Shakespeare Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English

Table of Contents

Introduction

“Sonnet 65” was composed by William Shakespeare, an English Renaissance poet and playwright, and originally published in 1609. The speaker of the poem laments the passing of time and asks how something as fragile as beauty can last when even the most durable things on earth inevitably fall apart and deteriorate. However, the speaker concludes that there is one thing that can endure time’s unrelenting siege: poetry itself—and, more significantly, the love conveyed in it. Shakespeare wrote a series of sonnets called “Fair Youth” sonnets, each one dedicated to a gorgeous young man. “Sonnet 65” is one of those sonnets.

About the poet

Shakespeare, an English playwright, poet, and actor, is regarded as the greatest English-language author and the greatest dramatist in history. Between 1589 and 1613, he wrote the majority of his well-known plays and histories. Up until 1608, the majority of his works were tragedies, like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Shakespeare’s plays are performed more frequently than those of any other author because they have been translated into every major living language. His works are still being researched and reexamined. Shakespeare’s posthumous collected work, The First Folio, was published in 1623 by John Heminges and Henry Condell. Ben Jonson’s poem praised Shakespeare as “not of an age, but for all time.”

The speaker considers how brief human existence is and how physical substances like brass, stone, soil, and the great sea cannot endure the power of death. The speaker wonders how something as delicate and brittle as a flower, like beauty, can possibly withstand the unrelenting force of time.

The physical components of the universe that are frequently thought of as being strong and enduring, such as brass, stone, earth, and the limitless sea, are listed by the speaker. But as time passes, these substances might deteriorate and be destroyed. The speaker wonders how the fragile and fleeting aspect of beauty can resist the overwhelming force of mortality. He contrasts beauty with a flower, whose life is brief and whose influence is constrained. The speaker emphasizes the temporary nature of beauty and how its deterioration is inevitable. The speaker’s reflection emphasizes the contrast between the longing for immortality or permanence and everything’s ultimate weakness in the face of mortality, even beauty.

The speaker considers how the good qualities of summer, represented by “summer’s honey breath,” endure in the face of the destructive effects of time. The speaker wonders why even the most durable materials, such as impregnable rocks and sturdy steel gates, finally decayed by the relentless march of time.

The speaker wonders if the pleasant characteristics of summer, like “honey breath,” can withstand the destructive force of time. He compares the endurance of summer’s attributes to the endurance of steel gates and impenetrable rocks. How can summer’s temporary and delicate qualities, like its sweet breath, withstand its effects? asks the speaker. The speaker emphasizes the brief duration of beauty and pleasurable experiences as well as the inevitable nature of deterioration. The sharp contrast between the temporary beauty of summer and the unrelenting march of time acts as a reminder of both the transience of life and the transience of earthly joys.

The speaker expresses worry and sadness at the idea of time’s relentless progression and its capacity to erode and ruin the world’s beauty and precious treasures. The speaker wonders where the most priceless and exquisite objects may be kept safe from the clutches of time and if anybody has the authority to stop time’s quick progress or stop it from robbing us of beauty.

The speaker expresses stress and dismay at the unrelenting passage of time and his concern at the consequences of its influence. As a result of his sense of powerlessness in the face of time’s effect, he asks rhetorical questions. The speaker emphasizes the transitory nature of beauty and richness in the world by lamenting the difficulty of shielding the most precious and valuable things from time’s grip. The speaker emphasizes the futility of attempting to stop time from removing or destroying beauty by asking, “What strong hand can hold his swift foot back?” and “Who his spoil of beauty can forbid?” In light of time’s unavoidable passage, these words express a sense of dread and resignation. The speaker regrets his incapacity to stop or shield the world’s riches and things of beauty from the ravages of time. This thought is part of a larger reflection on death, the transience of material things, and the ultimate helplessness of people in the face of the relentless force of time.

The speaker admits that no force or power can stop time’s inevitable march toward destruction and preserve beauty and love. But the speaker offers a remedy: the poetry and written word’s power. The speaker implies that even in the face of time’s degradation, their love may endure brightly by means of the written word, more especially through the ink on the page.

According to the speaker, time cannot stop the deterioration of love and beauty, which is indicative of time’s destructive character. However, the speaker adds the idea of a miracle, asserting that the speaker’s love can endure shining brilliantly through black ink and written words. This implies that the act of expressing love through poetry and maintaining it may resist the passage of time and maintain its essence. The phrase “in black ink, my love may still shine bright” implies that, although being susceptible to the ravages of time, the speaker’s love may be preserved and kept alive through the written word. The word “black” may be used to contrast the temporary and transitory character of beauty and love with the durability and lasting quality of ink. These lines highlight the importance and power of poetry and literature in preserving and documenting feelings, memories, and relationships. By using the transformational potential of words and written expression, the speaker aspires to transcend mortality and leave a permanent witness to their love.

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Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65

British literature is abundant of talented masters of the word: poets, writers, men of genius. Every epoch of the British literature is of gentle uniqueness and refined beauty. The epoch of Renaissance presented the world such outstanding persons as William Shakespeare, Thomas Wyatt, Edmund Spenser and others. The aim of this work is to analyze Shakespeares Sonnet 65 dedicated to the eternal phenomena of love, death, and beauty. The analysis will provide the readers with unique information on the writers message in a poem, its theme, symbolic elements used, as well as stylistic devices such as figures of speech and sound effects.

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Meaning and Message

Sonnet 65 delivers many images that may lead to the understanding of futility in the face of time corruptions. The poem is tightly connected with Shakespearean Sonnet 64 that deals with a sudden revelation of the fear of intolerable loss (Canham and Satuyamurti 101). Shakespeare talks in this sonnet about the mortality of everything in this world, no matter whether it is a human being or a thing. He mediates upon his own dreams and asserts that the immortality of his lover is deemed to fail. The author realizes that a day will come and two people that are connected with each other in a fools paradise will meet their intolerable destiny and pass away. Sonnet 65 seems to follow the tradition; however, it consolidates powerlessness of the eternity of youth in the shadow of time ravages. Nothing can resist the effect of time apart from Shakespeares immortal lines: He believes that his love verse can preserve the youths beauty (Senna 55). As a summary, the theme of Sonnet 65 is that nobody and nothing can prevent the results of destructive power of time and resist the mortality.

The desperate-exalting tone of a poem is predetermined by its overall message and a general mood. The speaker in the poem is the author personally; he talks on the subject of futility of existence caused by the powerlessness in the face of inevitable time changes leading to a cease of everything in this world.

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Thus, the speaker is desperate because there is not a thing in the universe that can withstand the ruinous effects of time. Even his lovers youth and beauty are not eternal. According to Mainul, The poet is extremely afraid of looking at the actions being done by time against the human beings and the natural things. Nonetheless, a poet is hopeful and truly believes that art such as poetry can preserve the beatitude of the wonderful people and love in its lines. The speaker shows his attitude towards the subject of a poem through the diction, for example he counts the most resistant to the destructions of time things saying Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, no boundless sea/ but sad mortality oer-sways their power (1-2); thus, trying to reassert the mighty power of time. He ponders over the fragility of the things comparing them with more tender things such as vegetation: How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea/ whose action is no stronger than a flower? (3-4). The speaker worries about the preservation of immortality, and makes inspirited efforts to immortalize his love on paper: O none, unless this miracle have might/ that in black ink my love may still shine bright (13-14). In addition, a miracle is promised, though its substance is purely verbal (Mirsky 113). The readers can learn that such words as time, beauty, and mortality detect speakers true feelings towards the subject of the sonnet.

Figures of Speech

Shakespeare applies figurative language devices such as personifications, metaphors, similes, and ironies in order to pass the overall message of his poem. He embodies similes in sonnet in the form of comparisons. An example of similes is when the author compares an amazing skill of beatitude that is no stronger than a flower to the power to resist the ruinous times rushes during the lapse needed to demolish very basic terrestrial substances.

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In order to depict a battle between fairness and a potent influence of time, Shakespeare utilizes the legal metaphor of beautys plea and action has a power the power of thought and argument (Canham and Satuyamurti 102). The author makes a comparison between beauty and a flower, thus, focusing on the tenderness and refined nature of beatitude. Ironically, this back-and-forth thinking mirrors the movement of the ways to the shore an image the poet uses in many of the time-themed sonnets in this sequence (Ward 156).

Personifications like a complicated kind of metaphors can be found in the symbol of summer, whose combat with time extends into a composite metaphorical conjunction consisting of wreckful siege, battering days, impregnable. It is said that summers honey breath is laid under siege by Time. This kind of metaphors can be surely called a mixed one. It implies a subordination of feeble thing to the stronger one. Thus, it is interesting why deceitful and tender beauty is somehow invulnerable to time clashes exactly as breath could not be against the wreckful siege (6). Time in Sonnet 65 acts like a universal personification and rules over everything in this world either spiritual or not. The most weird structure in sonnet is a kind of extensive metaphor like …what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?

Then the answer to this rhetorical question will be that only poets hand is able to withstand the quick march of time that strides towards the end and breakup. Love and death as times jewels are ironically represented in sonnet, which is immortal throughout the centuries.

Sound Effects

Skillful usage of sound effects while creating a sonnet is an evident feature of Shakespearean work. Shakespeare uses alliteration that is a repetition of sounds that mostly stand on the beginning of the words. He employs consonance that is repetition of a consonant sounds. Moreover, the poet adds an assonance that is a repetition of vowels of close words that do not form a rhyme. These specific sound devices are used to create the specific atmosphere. An example for appropriate use of these methods is when sometimes it may be an atmosphere of immense power and strength of things, the resistibility, and control. Alliteration: steel so strong, still shine, assonance hand can, so strong, consonance hand hold his, black ink, still shine. Sonnet 65 has no vivid examples of onomatopoeia that is known to refer to words that copy the sounds they are describing (Blaisdell 5). For example, the author often insert o , or at the beginning of the sentences like a part of rhetorical questions or statements: O, how shall summers honey breath hold out (5).

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Shakespearean poem uses iambic pentameter. Pentameter means meter, and pen, meaning five… so theres five beats (Albanese 60). It is a usual poetic form during the Renaissance epoch in England. Without a doubt, William Shakespeare is a genius when it is comes to a formulaic poetry. His sonnets are numerable examples of amazing effect of iambic pentameter usage for creating an original poem. Sonnet 65 copies the traditional sonnet form with the rhyme scheme. An inseparable combination of sound devices along with poetic form and rhyming creates unique atmosphere of a hopeful desperation in the poem.

Completely symbolic imagery is spread throughout Shakespearean poem. Time has a symbolic meaning; it embodies a powerlessness of every existing substance when it comes to mortality. Everything moves toward its final stage: a cease of existence, beauty decay. Summer acts as personified image of flourishing and gentle fragility of youth, love, and beauty; times jewel is the most valuable, worthwhile treasure of time that is flourishing youth. Times chest is a treasure house of things robbed by time; it is a tomb.

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Gates of steel in the lines Nor gates of steel so strong but Time decays? represent the protection from the ruinous effect of time; however, even so solid gates cannot resist a powerful destroyer (8). According to Grossman, the symbol-instinct exchange in Sonnet 65 requires an interior space, a dimensional subjectivity, in which to inscribe itself (167). A bright picture of hands feebleness in endeavor to oppose the severe enemy that strides swiftly on its way to non-existence is represented by lines Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back? (11).

In addition to its exploration of love, death, and beauty, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65 also delves into the concept of art and its potential for immortality. The speaker, while acknowledging the inevitability of time’s destructive power, expresses a belief in the ability of poetry to preserve the essence of love and beauty. This emphasis on the transformative power of art reflects the broader cultural context of the Renaissance period, which saw a renewed interest in humanism and the arts.

Furthermore, Sonnet 65 can be seen as part of a larger sequence of sonnets, commonly referred to as the Fair Youth sequence, in which Shakespeare explores the nature of love, desire, and the passage of time. These sonnets were likely written in the early 1590s and were circulated among a small circle of friends and patrons. The theme of mortality and the transience of beauty is a recurring motif in this sequence, with Sonnet 65 offering a particularly poignant reflection on the subject.

Moreover, the language and imagery employed in Sonnet 65 contribute to its overall impact. Shakespeare utilizes metaphors, such as comparing beauty to a flower, to emphasize its delicate nature and vulnerability to the ravages of time. The personification of time as a powerful force that rules over all things further reinforces the sense of inevitability and futility in the face of mortality.

Additionally, the sound effects employed in the sonnet enhance its musicality and emotional resonance. Shakespeare’s use of alliteration, consonance, and assonance creates a rhythmic flow that draws the reader in and adds a lyrical quality to the poem. These sound devices not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the sonnet but also contribute to its thematic exploration of time’s relentless march and the fleeting nature of beauty.

In conclusion, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65 offers a profound reflection on the themes of love, death, and beauty, while also exploring the role of art in preserving the essence of what is ephemeral. Through its vivid imagery, skillful use of language, and rhythmic sound effects, the sonnet captivates the reader and invites contemplation on the transient nature of human existence. Shakespeare’s enduring mastery of the sonnet form and his ability to convey complex emotions and ideas continue to resonate with readers across centuries, making Sonnet 65 a timeless work of art.

This paper provides the readers with a literature analysis of William Shakespeares Sonnet 65. It researches the overall meaning and message of a poem, its tone, symbolic imagery, figures of speech, and sound effects, such as assonance, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. The author made is the best representative of literature, who can create original and exciting sonnet that follows the tradition of iambic pentameter in the English poetry during Renaissance. A modern variant of Shakespearean sonnet 65 is popular worldwide and more familiar to the reader than the quarto version of it of 1609. The theme of invincible power of beauty, youth, and love in poetry, but its feebleness to times demolitions is famous due to this poem by Shakespeares hand.

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Sonnet 65 Analysis

Sonnet 65 is a Shakespeare Sonnet. Sonnets are poems that have fourteen lines, while following a specific rhyme scheme and a particular meter. Sonnets typically speak of love or relationships in some way, while also being about the author’s thoughts on life. In Sonnet 65, Shakespeare uses an old man as a symbol for time and death. The Sonnet form is a popular, unique mode of poetry. Sonnets are typically composed of fourteen lines, with each line having ten syllables. Sonnets follow one of two rhyme schemes: either an alternating pattern or a Shakespearean/Italian Sonnet’s rhyme scheme.

These sonnets also have a particular meter depending on their specific form. The Sonnet form was first introduced by the Italians in the 14th century and later reintroduced to English speaking poets by Sir Thomas Wyatt during Tudor England (Wikipedia contributors). Sonnet 65 falls under the Shakespearean/Italian Sonnet category due to its use of iambic pentameter within each line as well as its rhyming pattern. Each line has ten syllables with a strict iambic pentameter. Sonnet 65 is one of Shakespeare’s “procreation sonnets,” or a Sonnet that speaks on the idea of creating a new life through the inspiration of Love (Wright).

In Sonnet 65, Shakespeare uses an old man as a symbol for time and death. Sonnet 65 falls under the Shakespearean/Italian Sonnet category due to its use of iambic pentameter within each line as well as its rhyming pattern. Each line has ten syllables with a strict iambic pentameter. Sonnet 65 is one of Shakespeare’s “procreation sonnets,” or a Sonnet that speaks on the idea of creating a new life through the inspiration of Love (Wright). Sonnet 65 follows the rhyme scheme A-B-A-B, C-D-C-D. This Sonnet has three quatrains and a couplet.

The first eight lines are the octave while the last six are known as the sestet. Shakespeare often uses “procreation sonnets” to talk about marriage and children, but Sonnet 65 is different because it focuses on old age instead of youthfulness or beauty (Geering). Sonnet 65 follows an alternating pattern. The rhyming scheme for line one is ABAB, line two is CDCD, line three is EFEF, line four EFGF, line five GFGF, etc. Sonnet 65 is written in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme A-B-A-B, C-D-C-D.

Sonnet 65 contrasts youth and age because it is typically assumed that Sonnets refer to the beauty of love, while Sonnet 65 has turned that idea on its head. Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 65 in the early part of his career when he was writing Sonnets about young men who are thought to be beautiful seeing as this Sonnet talks about old age instead (Harker). The sonnets typically speak of love or relationships in some way, while also being about the author’s thoughts on life. There are many theories of what Sonnets mean, but Sonnets tend to be about love, life/death, sex, beauty, women’s virtue and many other topics.

Sonnet 65 follows this rule closely. Sonnets follow a set rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG (for example: “Let me not to the marriage of true minds” or “When I do count the clock that tells the time”). Sonnets usually focus on an idea or conflict and attempt to answer it. The final 2 lines of one sonnet often continue into the first 2 lines of another sonnet (for example: Sonnets 9-12 all interact with Sonnet 13 before Sonnet 14 finishes Sonnet 12’s argument).

Sonnets often use the phrase “in one respect” (for example: Sonnets 5, 16, and 17), which is used to make connections between different sonnets. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 65 focuses on the idea of time; more specifically, how it affects love. Lines 3-12 compare moments in time to things that are temporary (like a wink or an hour). The speaker then states that true love abides forever, like “eternity. ” Line 13 also plays with this idea by saying “all are but parts of one whole. ” This implies that there is no clear beginning or end—instead everything is connected.

Sonnet 65 is part of the Fair Youth Sonnet series (sonnets 1-126). These sonnets are Shakespeare’s attempt to show that he loves a specific young man. Sonnet 65 focuses on the speaker’s reflection on his own life, which shows how long he has loved someone. The first line implies that this realization has come after years of loving the youth, which may be discouraging for the speaker (he might see it as too late or realize that what he loves is not loveable), but it also serves as proof of true love.

Shakespeare Sonnet 65 explores how time affects human emotions and relationships. Lines 3-12 use imagery to suggest that things like nightfall and winter will soon pass, but “true love” can last forever. Sonnet 65 reflects on the speaker’s life and how he has loved someone for a seemingly infinite amount of time. By the end of Sonnet 65, the speaker realizes that their love is still alive after all this time (lines 13-14).

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Sonnet 65- William Shakespeare- Summary

Updated: Apr 22, 2022

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea

But sad mortality o’er-sways their power,

How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,

Whose action is no stronger than a flower?

O, how shall summer’s honey breath hold out

Against the wrackful siege of batt’ring days,

When rocks impregnable are not so stout,

Nor gates of steel so strong, but time decays?

O fearful meditation! where, alack,

Shall time’s best jewel from time’s chest lie hid?

Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?

Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?

O, none, unless this miracle have might,

That in black ink my love may still shine bright .

- William Shakespeare

The speaker speaks on the nature and effect of time. He personifies time, speaks about its actions, and gives emotions to it. He asks a lot of questions. He says, “Even powerful brass, stone, earth, and the boundless sea is conquered by mortality. Everything has been caught in the hands of “Time”. Would it be possible for the comparably feeble, “beauty” to escape from it? Beauty is not even stronger than a flower. How could such a thing withhold the battering days of time? Even the rocks and steel decay with time which is a scary reality. From such a harsh reality called time; Can beauty like a jewel be hidden in its neck? Or can beauty even find a strong foothold to pass this aggressive time? Or who can stop him (i.e. Time) from spoiling the beauty (i.e. by aging people)? The answer to the question is none. None can stop him unless there is a miracle. I will make my love’s life immortal with this black ink and make him/her shine for eternity. With this miracle, this enraged Time can be stopped.

• Shake the Speare
• European Literature

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