Best of Shakespeare
SONNET 73
That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire
Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
Favorite Poem – Jackson Lee (Sonnet 73)
This poem uses a lot of imagery and it allows the reader to get a sense on the tone of the poem. Shakespeare also uses a lot of rhythm, and the poem has three different quatrains. The first two quatrains of the poem relates to slowly dying. The poem says “In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire” referring I am like a glowing ember, “ That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,” Lying on the dying flame of my youth. The last quatrain refers to love and how with love we can diminish “oldness” and yet still appreciate life.
NOT MARBLE NOR THE GILDED MONUMENTS 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 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-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 judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lover's eye
MOST FAVORITE - Younga Meniboon (Sonnet 55)
Sonnet 55, "Not Marble nor the Gilded Monuments," is one of the most memorable of Shakespearian sonnets, treating the theme that human beings can share in eternal life only through the medium of art. The speaker addresses a loved one and determines that the poem itself is so strong an artifact that the listener will continue to live in it, “and dwell in lovers’ eyes” (line 14).
The speaker addresses a listener who is deeply respected and loved. We do not learn much about the “you,” except that the relationship with the speaker is a close one. The “you” and “your” pronoun referring to the unnamed listener occurs six times in the poem.
The powers of destruction mentioned in the poem are “sluttish time,” “wasteful war,” “broils,” “Mars his sword,” “war’s quick fire,” “death,” “all-oblivious enmity,” and the collective forgetfulness of “all posterity.” The speaker claims that his own poem (“powerful rhyme,” line 2) will survive all future destruction, because even though people, buildings, and institutions perish, the language will live on, and the poem is important enough to attract endless future interest.
The “living record of your memory” of line 8 refers to the poem itself, Sonnet 55. The idea is that even though the listener is unknown to readers, the “living record” still exists and the listener also therefore exists.
The subject of the poem is the impermanence of civilizations which may decay and which may be destroyed by war, as contrasted with the survival of a literate culture that may exist long after the lost civilizations in which it was produced. The theme of the poem is that love, art, and things of the mind confer universality and longevity, while specifics may be lost
The Best of Shakespeare, “Sonnet 138”, by Doug Novak
Sonnet 138 is one of William Shakespeare’s best works. The contradiction in is beliefs about his mistress are exposed and explored, leaving the reader to reflect on the similar dichotomies in his/her own life and relationships. He expresses his admiration and love while realistically acknowledging her character flaws, “When my love swears that she is made of truth, I do believe her, though I know she lies.” He willingly accepts her version of self-perception, though it is not in-line with his own. He also acknowledges that she has been less than faithful and derives pleasure from not being fooled by her act of fidelity. At the same time he admits to being dishonest and trying to act younger and more naïve than he is, thus equaling her in dishonesty.
He and his mistress have a mutual agreement to keep certain truths to themselves and never to speak of them, “But wherefore says she not she is unjust? And wherefore say not that I am old?” This also brings into question exactly who he is speaking of, as Shakespeare’s wife was older than him. Perhaps she was obsessed in the area of age than he. As is typical in Shakespeare’s sonnets he concludes with a couplet; also true to his nature the couplet is not a conclusion, but a similar but different thought that encompasses the theme, yet suggests more. In the last two lines of this poem he addresses lust with a sense of humor. He uses a play on the word lie and its different meanings, to have sex and to deceive. He uses this technique to summarize the poem and leave the reader to question the nature of love and relationships, “Therefore I lie with her and she with me, And in our faults by lies we flattered be”