8. “Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?”
9. “O! none, That in
unless black ink
this my love
miracle may still
have shine
might, bright.”
Editor's Notes
Overview: This poem deal with life and love. Shakespeare poses several rhetorical questions throughout the poem suggesting that love meaningless and that time will eventually destroy everything. The final couplet seems to give a glimmer of hope that love may be eternal.
Brass, stone, earth, and sea are viewed as objects which are everlasting. They were here before man and they will be here a very long time.Website: Shakespeare’s Sonnetshttp://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/65
Eventually these things will cease. Even though we assume they will be here for eternity, eventually time will destroy them like everything else.Website: Shakespeare Onlinehttp://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/65detail.htmlWebsite: Wikipediafamilyguy.wikia.com.wiki/Death
The beauty that Shakespeare refers to in the first line of this couplet is love. He wonders how love, which is delicate like flower, can survive when nothing else can.Website: Shakespeare Onlinehttp://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/65detail.htmlWebsite: Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/21644167@N04/2760277218/sizes/m/in/photostream/
He poses a similar rhetorical question as the previous one. Here he uses violent words and phrases such as “wrackfulseige” and “battering” to evoke images of wafare.Website: Shakespeare’s Sonnetshttp://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/65Website: Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/theo_reth/5830112498/sizes/l/in/photostream/
The pattern of asking a rhetorical question is followed in this couplet. The imagry of rock and decaying steel make one think of ancient ruins. This further re-enforces the concept that time will conquer everything.Website: Sonnets By Shakespearehttp://sonnetsbyshakespeare.blogspot.com/2006/06/sonnet-65.htmlWebsite: Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/maureenpp/475243627/sizes/o/in/photostream/
The questions asked in the previous three couplets bring about that of death and mortality, or “fearful meditation” as Shakespeare referred to them. “Time’s chest” refers to a coffin and “Time’s best jewel” again refers to love. He wonders if love is destined to die.Website: Shakespeare’s Sonnetshttp://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/65Website: Roger That Lilac Pixiehttp://rogerthatlilacpixie.blogspot.com/
Shakespeare asks if there is anything that can prevent the inevitability that time will overcome love and life.Website: Shakespeare’s Sonnetshttp://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/65Website: Switch Gaminghttp://switchgaming.blogspot.com/2009/06/one-switch-karate.html
The final couplet answers the question in the previous couplet. However, there are two different interpretations of what the answer is meant to be. The literal interpretation suggests that that love can only live on through his writing. The alternative interpretation is that this last couplet is meant to be sarcastic, and that such a suggestion is silly. The meaning of this poem depends largely on how one chooses to interpret this last couplet.Website: Shakespeare Onlinehttp://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/65detail.htmlWebsite: Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/47093182@N08/4312013374/sizes/m/in/photostream/
