CBSE Poetry Study Notes: Shakespeare's Sonnet 55

Introduction to Time and Durability

  • Conceptual Exercise: Symbols of Time:
    • Portrayal: The text prompts students to consider how Time is portrayed in imagery (e.g., as a reaper, an old man, or a devourer) and why such personifications are used.
    • Other Symbols: Common symbols associated with Time include the hourglass, the scythe, clocks, and the sun.
  • Things that Last for Centuries:
    • Natural Entities: Mountains are cited as objects that survive for centuries.
    • Historical Survival: Identification of local landmarks or structures that might survive into the future for 400400 to 500500 years.
  • Things that Perish/Be Forgotten:
    • The prompt asks for a consideration of things that inevitably succumb to the passage of time, whether physical objects or human legacies.

Understanding the Sonnet Form

  • Etymology: The word "sonnet" is derived from the Italian word sonetto, which means "a little sound" or "a little song."
  • Structure:
    • Total Lines: A sonnet consists of 1414 lines.
    • Organization: It follows a structured rhyme scheme.
    • Development: A thought about a specific subject is developed thoroughly throughout the poem.
  • Context in this Study Unit: Students are directed to explore Unit 99 and listen to recordings of Sonnet 5555 at specifically provided resources, such as a YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qCa1jBhtM&feature=related.

Full Text of "Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments" (Sonnet 5555)

1 Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
2 Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
3 But you shall shine more bright in these contents
4 Than unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time.

5 When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
6 And broils root out the work of masonry,
7 Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
8 The living record of your memory.

9 'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
10 Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room,
11 Even in the eyes of all posterity
12 That wear this world out to the ending doom.

13 So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
14 You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.

Glossary and Vocabulary Definitions

  • Gilded: Covered with gold; gold-plated.
  • Unswept stone: A stone monument left uncared for by humans.
  • Besmear'd: Tarnished or dirtied.
  • Sluttish: Of unclean habits and behavior (referring to Time's messy destruction).
  • Broils: Tumult, fighting, or disturbances, especially those occurring in war.
  • Mars: The Roman god of war.
  • Quick: Lively, fast-moving, or searching out.
  • Living record: The written memory of a person's life (this poem) that continues to exist after they are dead.
  • 'Gainst: Against.
  • Oblivious enmity: Enmity that is forgetful of everything and seeks to destroy everything in its path.
  • Pace forth: To stride forwards.
  • Posterity: Future generations of people.
  • Doom: Doomsday; the specific day on which the Last Judgment is said to occur.
  • Judgment: The day of the Last Judgment.

About the Poet: William Shakespeare

  • Life Span: 1564−16161564-1616.
  • Birthplace: Stratford-upon-Avon.
  • Prominence: He is considered by many scholars and readers to be the greatest dramatist of all time.
  • Literary Body of Work:
    • Sonnets: He wrote a total of 154154 sonnets.
    • Narrative Poems: He authored two long narrative poems.
    • Plays: He wrote approximately three dozen plays.
  • Style and Technique:
    • Shakespeare utilized both poetic and dramatic means to achieve unified aesthetic effects.
    • In his verse, he is known for perfecting the dramatic blank verse.

Questions and Discussion

  • Multiple Choice Questions:

    • (a) The rich and powerful got ornate monuments made in order to: (Answer: be remembered till posterity).
    • (b) The poet addresses his sonnet to: (Answer: the person he loves).
    • (c) In the line 'The living record of your memory', living record refers to: (Answer: the sonnet the poet has written for his friend).
    • (d) The poet's tone in the poem is: (Answer: The text invites evaluation; options include despairing, optimistic, loving, or admiring).
    • (e) The poem is set in: (Answer: The text invites evaluation; options include where the poet meets his friend, a battlefield, a city ravaged by war, or the poet’s study).

  • Short Answer Prompt Questions:

    • (a) Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory?
    • (b) Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.
    • (c) Why does the poet refer to Time as being "sluttish"?
    • (d) The poet says that neither forces of nature nor wars can destroy his poetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will not have a devastating effect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is revealed through these lines?

Structural Analysis of the Poem

  • Quatrain 1 (Lines 1−41-4):
    • Rhyme Scheme: ABAB.
    • Theme: Comparison between the durability of poetry and the eventual decay of physical monuments.
  • Quatrain 2 (Lines 5−85-8):
    • Rhyme Scheme: CDCD.
    • Theme: The ravages of time and war on monuments contrasted with the survival of the "living record" (poetry).
  • Quatrain 3 (Lines 9−129-12):
    • Rhyme Scheme: EFEF.
    • Theme: The recorded memory of the subject striding forward against death to reach future posterity.
  • Rhyming Couplet (Lines 13−1413-14):
    • Rhyme Scheme: GG.
    • Theme: Poetry immortalizes the friend until the day of judgment.

Literary Devices in Sonnet 5555

  • Alliteration: The poet uses alliteration (the repetition of consonant sounds) to heighten the musical quality of the sonnet.
  • Personification: Shakespeare employs personification throughout the poem (e.g., portraying Time as having "sluttish" habits or War as being "wasteful").