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NP Sonnet 55.Pptx - AutoRecovered
NP Sonnet 55.Pptx - AutoRecovered
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
princes - a word which was used to refer to all royalty and rulers,
male and female.
powerful - in the sense of being able to withstand time's
destruction, and perhaps to confer immortality.
So princes will live longer than this poetry.
unswept stone - a stone monument left uncared for. Those in cathedrals
and churches would generally be kept clean and polished. But older
monuments in churchyards gradually would be forgotten and fall to ruin,
as the living memory of its builders and inhabitants died out.
with sluttish time - by filthy time.
Here Shakespeare personifies Time as the unkempt woman.
Explanation of the Poem
The first stanza talks about how time will not destroy
the poem, though it will destroy the world’s most
magnificent structures. He wishes to say that poetry is
stronger than these structures. At the very beginning,
the poet says that whether it is marble or gold plated
monuments of princes, all will get destroyed but the
magnificence of his poetry will live. The subject of
poetry will remain bright and will shine forever in
comparison to a neglected stone monument which is
spoilt with Time. Time is compared to a slut who loses
her glow and beauty with time. Shakespeare
compares Time unfavourably to a female subject.
Explanation of the Poem
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.
Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.
Answer: Monuments and statues brave the ravages of time in various
ways. They withstand the vagaries of nature and get somewhat tarnished
in the process. Some of the monuments may survive for a few hundred
years; like the Taj Mahal. Some of them may survive for a few thousand
years; like the pyramids. While doing so, these monuments often tell us
about their glorious days.
Probable Questions
Why does the poet refer to Time as being sluttish?
Answer: In this case, the poet is referring to the tarnishing
effect which time can have on many things. For example;
what once may have been a magnificent monument is no
more than ruins; in the name of some of the famous
historical monuments, e.g. sphinx and pyramids.
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?
Answer: The poet if confident about the timeless nature of
great works of art and literature.
Probable Questions
The poet uses alliteration to heighten the musical quality of the
sonnet. State some examples of alliteration in the poem.
Answer: When words beginning with same consonant are
repeated in a line or stanza, this is called alliteration. Example:
Marble and monuments, Prince and powerful. Many more
examples can be found in this poem, e.g. shall shine, wasteful war,
wear this world, etc.