Sonnet 65- William Shakespeare- Summary

POEM:

Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea

But sad mortality o’er-sways their power,

How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,

Whose action is no stronger than a flower?

O, how shall summer’s honey breath hold out

Against the wrackful siege of batt’ring days,

When rocks impregnable are not so stout,

Nor gates of steel so strong, but time decays?

O fearful meditation! where, alack,

Shall time’s best jewel from time’s chest lie hid?

Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?

Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?

O, none, unless this miracle have might,

That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

- William Shakespeare

SUMMARY:

The speaker speaks on the nature and effect of time. He personifies time, speaks about its actions, and gives emotions to it. He asks a lot of questions. He says, “Even powerful brass, stone, earth, and the boundless sea is conquered by mortality. Everything has been caught in the hands of “Time”. Would it be possible for the comparably feeble, “beauty” to escape from it? Beauty is not even stronger than a flower. How could such a thing withhold the battering days of time? Even the rocks and steel decay with time which is a scary reality. From such a harsh reality called time; Can beauty like a jewel be hidden in its neck? Or can beauty even find a strong foothold to pass this aggressive time? Or who can stop him (i.e. Time) from spoiling the beauty (i.e. by aging people)? The answer to the question is none. None can stop him unless there is a miracle. I will make my love’s life immortal with this black ink and make him/her shine for eternity. With this miracle, this enraged Time can be stopped.