Sonnet 123
No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change:
Thy pyramids built up with newer might
To me are nothing novel, nothing strange;
They are but dressings of a former sight.
Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,
And rather make them born to our desire
Than think that we before have heard them told.
Thy registers and thee I both defy,
Not wondering at the present nor the past;
For thy records and what we see doth lie,
Made more or less by that continual haste.
This I do vow, and this shall ever be:
I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee.
Summary of Sonnet 123
- Popularity of “Sonnet 123”: Written by the classic English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, this sonnet “Sonnet 123” occurs in his sonnets of Fair Youth sequence. These are the best sonnets of Shakespeare, written between 1590 and 1600. These sonnets are a sequence of 126 poems addressed to a young man, often referred to as the “Fair Youth.” They are among the most famous and influential poems in English literature, among which “Sonnet 123” is perhaps the best for demonstrating the thematic strand of time as the destroyer of beauty and youth.
- “Sonnet 123” As a Representative of the Impacts of Time: The speaker calls the time in a you-centric tone, saying that time cannot boast that it has not changed. He would rather change as he does not find anything unusual in the monuments, such as the Pyramids of Egypt built by the time. The speaker is of the view that as the lives of the people are short, we give value to things that are sprawled around us. However, they are not in any way specifically remarkable as the people have made them.
It is because we as human beings are attracted to things that are old, thinking that we have never seen them before. The poet rather rejects this domination of time saying that he defies both its register and itself and says that he does not wonder or feel surprised at what the time seems. Rather, he feels that it is the haste that has made everything and not time. The poet is adamant about staying loyal to his own principles, saying that although he is sure to be cut down by the scythe of time, he would budge from his stand. - Major Themes in “Sonnet 123”: The power of time, the transience of life, and morality are major themes of this sonnet. The poet calls the time but ultimately defies it and its domination, saying that he would rather resist it despite knowing that time would ultimately take him down. However, he is also aware that it is to happen in any case as life is transient and time is in a hurry. Therefore, he knows that he is going down in history, yet he would defy time and continue sticking to his principles and values. Therefore, this morality of the time stays with the poet despite the rule and domination of time.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 123
William Shakespeare used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices are as follows.
- Allusion: It means to use references from society, history, or culture to stress the main idea. The poet used the allusion to historical importance, such as pyramids and Time.
- Alliteration: It means to use initial consonants in successive words. The poem shows the use of consonant sounds, such as /n/ in “nothing, novel” or /w/ in “what we” or /h/ in “have heard.”
- Apostrophe: This literary device shows the use of a call to some dead person or some abstract idea. The poem shows the use of an apostrophe, though in a somewhat different way, such as “No, Time, thou shalt boast that I do change.”
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ and /ai/ in “Thy pyramids built up with newer might” and the sound of /e/ and /o/ in “hey are but dressings of a former sight.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /d/ and /s/ in “What thou dost foist upon us that is old” and the sound of /d/ and /b/ in “And rather make them born to our desire.”
- Enjambment: It means that a verse rolls over its meanings to the next verse without any pause. For example,
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,
And rather make them born to our desire
Than think that we before have heard them told.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “Than think that we before have heard them told”, “Not wondering at the present nor the past” and “For thy records and what we see doth lie.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet used the metaphors of pyramids and scythe.
- Personification: It means to attribute human emotions to inanimate objects. The poet has used the personification of the time that he thinks can boast.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as time, pyramids, might, desire, and register to show the importance and significance of time.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 123
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal, poetic, and melodic diction.
- End Rhyme: It means to use verses having matching end words. William Shakespeare shows the use of end rhyme such as change/strange and might/sight.
- Quatrain: It is a Persian stanza having four verses. The poem shows the use of a quatrain such as the first stanza.
- Rhyme Scheme: This poem shows the rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD in its octave and EFEFGG in its sestet.
- Poem: This is a fourteen-lined poem. Therefore, it is a sonnet.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas; the first octave comprises eight verses, and the second sestet comprises six verses, as shown in Rhyme Scheme.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a pedantic and intellectual tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about the time and its working.
For thy records and what we see doth lie,
Made more or less by that continual haste.
This I do vow, and this shall ever be:
I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee.