'Sonnet 63: Against my love shall be, as I am now' by William Shakespeare
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Against my love shall be, as I am now,
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn;
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow
With lines and wrinkles; when his youthful morn
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring;
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age's cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life.
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Sonnet 63: Against my love shall be, as I am now
Oh, what a masterpiece Shakespeare has bestowed upon us in the form of Sonnet 63! This sonnet, like so many others by the great bard, is a sonnet of love, but it is also so much more than that. It is a sonnet of time, of mortality, and of the inevitable decay that comes with the passage of time.
The sonnet begins with the speaker making a bold statement: "Against my love shall be, as I am now." The word "against" immediately sets up a tone of conflict, of a struggle that is about to unfold. And what is this struggle? The speaker goes on to explain: "With Time's injurious hand crush'd and o'erworn."
Ah, time! That great and terrible enemy of us all. The speaker acknowledges that time will have its way with him, just as it will have its way with his love. And what a beautiful love it must be, for the speaker says that his love "shall outlive this powerful rhyme."
But wait, there's more! The speaker then goes on to describe the physical decay that will come with the passage of time, using vivid and striking images: "When wasteful war shall statues overturn, / And broils root out the work of masonry." The speaker is saying that even the greatest works of man will fall to ruin, but his love will remain.
And then, in a beautiful turn of phrase, the speaker says that even when "the brassy trump of war shall clang his fell / Sounding to the world's end," his love will still endure. The use of the word "fell" here is particularly striking – it suggests not just the sound of war, but its brutality and violence. And yet, even in the face of such horror, the speaker's love will remain steadfast.
But why? Why is this love so enduring? The answer comes in the final couplet: "That thereby beauty's rose might never die, / But as the riper should by time decease." The beauty of love, the speaker suggests, lies in its impermanence. Just as a rose must wither and die in order for a new one to bloom, so too must love be subject to the passage of time in order for it to be beautiful.
In a sense, then, the speaker is embracing the very thing that he fears. He knows that time will destroy him, just as it will destroy his love. But he also knows that this destruction is necessary for the beauty of love to be fully realized.
And so, with Sonnet 63, Shakespeare once again shows us the power of language to capture the complex emotions of the human experience. He gives us a sonnet of love, yes, but also a sonnet of mortality, of decay, and of beauty. It is a sonnet that speaks to our deepest fears and our greatest hopes, and it is a sonnet that will remain with us long after we, like the speaker, have passed into dust.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Sonnet 63: Against my love shall be, as I am now, is one of William Shakespeare's most famous sonnets. It is a powerful and emotional poem that explores the idea of aging and the inevitable decay of the human body. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, structure, and language.
The poem begins with the line "Against my love shall be, as I am now," which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the sonnet. The speaker is acknowledging that his love will eventually face the same fate as he will, which is aging and decay. This line also introduces the central theme of the poem, which is the transience of life and the inevitability of death.
The second line, "With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn," further emphasizes the theme of decay and aging. The speaker is suggesting that time is a destructive force that will eventually wear down everything, including his love. The use of the word "injurious" suggests that time is not only destructive but also harmful, which adds to the emotional weight of the poem.
The third line, "When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow," continues the theme of aging and decay. The speaker is describing the physical effects of aging, such as the draining of blood and the wrinkling of the brow. This line also suggests that time is a relentless force that will continue to wear down the body until it is no longer recognizable.
The fourth line, "With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful morn," further emphasizes the physical effects of aging. The use of the words "lines and wrinkles" suggests that the body will become marked and scarred by the passage of time. The phrase "youthful morn" suggests that the speaker's love was once young and beautiful, but time has taken its toll.
The fifth line, "Hath travelled on to age's steepy night," is a powerful metaphor for the journey of life. The use of the word "travelled" suggests that life is a journey, and the phrase "age's steepy night" suggests that the end of that journey is death. This line also suggests that the speaker's love has reached the end of its journey and is now facing the inevitable decline of old age.
The sixth line, "And all those beauties whereof now he's king," is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of beauty. The speaker is acknowledging that his love was once beautiful and powerful, but now that beauty is fading. The use of the word "king" suggests that the speaker's love was once in control, but now that control is slipping away.
The seventh line, "Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight," is a powerful statement about the transience of life. The use of the word "vanishing" suggests that the beauty and power of the speaker's love are slowly fading away. The phrase "vanished out of sight" suggests that this process is irreversible and that once something is gone, it can never be regained.
The eighth line, "Stealing away the treasure of his spring," is a metaphor for the loss of youth and vitality. The use of the word "stealing" suggests that this loss is not voluntary but is instead forced upon the speaker's love by the passage of time. The phrase "treasure of his spring" suggests that youth and vitality are precious and valuable, but they are also fleeting.
The ninth line, "For such a time do I now fortify," is a turning point in the poem. The speaker is acknowledging that he cannot stop the passage of time or the inevitable decline of his love. Instead, he must find a way to fortify himself against the pain and sadness that will come with that decline.
The tenth line, "Against confounding age's cruel knife," is a powerful metaphor for the destructive power of time. The use of the word "confounding" suggests that time is not only destructive but also confusing and disorienting. The phrase "cruel knife" suggests that time is a violent force that will cut through everything, including the speaker's love.
The eleventh line, "That he shall never cut from memory," is a reminder that even though the physical body may decay, memories can last forever. The speaker is suggesting that even though his love may fade away, he will always remember the beauty and power that it once possessed.
The twelfth line, "My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life," is a powerful statement about the enduring nature of love. The speaker is acknowledging that even though his love may fade away, the beauty of that love will endure. The use of the word "sweet" suggests that the speaker's love is still beautiful and valuable, even in its decline.
The thirteenth line, "May still seem bright and beauteous in my rhyme," is a reminder that poetry can preserve the beauty and power of love. The speaker is suggesting that even though his love may fade away, he can still capture its essence in his poetry. This line also suggests that poetry has the power to transcend time and preserve the beauty of love for future generations.
The final line, "As I in praise alone now am so styled," is a powerful statement about the enduring nature of art. The speaker is suggesting that even though his physical body may decay, his poetry will endure. The use of the word "praise" suggests that the speaker's poetry is a tribute to his love, and that tribute will endure even after his physical body has faded away.
In conclusion, Sonnet 63: Against my love shall be, as I am now, is a powerful and emotional poem that explores the themes of aging, decay, and the transience of life. The poem is a reminder that even though the physical body may decay, memories and art can endure. The use of powerful metaphors and emotive language makes this sonnet a timeless masterpiece that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
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