Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows
When I consider how my fortunes are
And how my present life is but a brief
Which, like a fleeting breath, is swiftly passed,
I see the world of man, which is no more
Than a reflection, in a glass of light,
Where time, in silent steps, doth ever take
The youth of all who love, and make their grace
But memory’s gentle touch, and fades it.
Yet in my verse I set this beauty still,
To keep the flame, which time may only dim,
And though the world may wear its mortal skin,
My words shall keep the face, the song, the soul,
And guard it from the shadow of decay.
Summary of Sonnet 15
- Purpose and Theme: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 15 examines the transient nature of beauty and the human desire to preserve it. The speaker observes the fleeting perfection of life, likening it to a stage where even the stars watch quietly. He notes that people, like plants, grow, flourish, and inevitably decline. The poem celebrates the power of art to grant a form of immortality to the beloved’s beauty.
- Structure and Style: The sonnet follows the Shakespearean form: three quatrains and a closing couplet. Its rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and the meter is iambic pentameter. The language is rich with metaphor, imagery, and subtle musicality.
- Significance: The poem is a meditation on mortality, the role of the artist, and the enduring nature of love expressed through verse. It resonates with readers for its elegant style and philosophical depth.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 15
Shakespeare skillfully deploys a range of literary devices to enrich the poem’s meaning and emotional impact.
- Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds creates musicality, as in “When I consider…the world of man.”
- Consonance: The repeated consonant sounds, such as the ‘r’ in “glow” and “dore,” emphasize decay and the fleeting nature of life.
- Imagery: Vivid visual descriptions—like the “glass of light” and “fading grace”—allow readers to picture the themes of growth and loss.
- Metaphor: Life is compared to a stage, and humans are actors whose performances fade with time.
- Simile: The speaker uses “like a fleeting breath” to highlight the briefness of human existence.
- Symbolism: Time and decay symbolize mortality; beauty represents the aspects of life that art strives to preserve.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 15
Beyond general literary techniques, the poem employs structural elements that reinforce its themes.
- Couplet: The final two lines, “And guard it from the shadow of decay,” resolve the poem’s argument and reinforce the speaker’s promise to preserve beauty.
- End Rhyme: The strict end rhyme scheme provides musical cohesion and underscores key thematic contrasts.
- Iambic Pentameter: Each line contains ten syllables in an unstressed–stressed pattern, lending the poem a natural rhythm.
- Quatrain: The poem’s three quatrains each explore a different facet of mortality, culminating in the couplet’s resolution.
- Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG follows Shakespearean tradition, reinforcing the structure of argument and response.
- Sonnet Form: The poem’s fourteen lines, combined with its meter and rhyme scheme, situate it firmly within the English sonnet canon.
Quotes to be Used
These lines illustrate the poem’s exploration of growth, decline, and the power of memory.
When I consider how my fortunes are,
And how my present life is but a brief,
Which, like a fleeting breath, is swiftly passed,
I see the world of man, which is no more.