Welcome, poetry explorers, to a journey into one of William Shakespeare’s timeless masterpieces! Today, the focus is on a sonnet that beautifully captures the fleeting nature of life and the enduring power of art. Prepare to uncover the layers of meaning in “Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows.”
When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
When I perceive that men as plants do grow,
Cheered and check’d even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height of woe
In their freshest state then suffer a decay;
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.
Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows Summary
Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows” is a profound meditation on the transient beauty of life and the speaker’s desire to immortalize it through verse. The poem opens with the speaker observing the natural world, noting how everything that grows, from plants to humans, enjoys a brief period of perfection before inevitably succumbing to decay. This observation leads to a realization about the beloved’s youth and beauty, which are also vulnerable to the relentless march of time.
The central idea of Sonnet 15 revolves around the conflict between the destructive power of time and the preserving power of art. The speaker resolves to combat time’s inevitable decay by “engrafting” the beloved’s beauty into his poetry, thereby granting it a form of immortality. This sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s “Fair Youth” sequence, where the speaker often urges a young man to marry and have children or promises to immortalize his beauty in verse.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 15
This sonnet unfolds in a classic Shakespearean structure, moving from a general observation to a specific application and finally to a resolution. The poem’s power lies in its vivid imagery and the speaker’s passionate argument against the ravages of time.
The Fleeting Nature of Growth and Perfection
The first quatrain establishes the speaker’s initial contemplation of the natural world:
When I consider every thing that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment,
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
The speaker observes that all living things achieve perfection for only a “little moment.” The world is depicted as a “huge stage,” suggesting that life is a performance, temporary and subject to unseen forces, perhaps even destiny, as implied by the “stars in secret influence comment.” This sets a melancholic tone, highlighting the brevity of beauty and life.
Humanity’s Parallel to Plants
The second quatrain extends this observation specifically to humanity:
When I perceive that men as plants do grow,
Cheered and check’d even by the self-same sky,
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height of woe
In their freshest state then suffer a decay;
Here, a direct comparison is made: “men as plants do grow.” Humans, like plants, are nurtured and challenged by the same environment (“Cheered and check’d even by the self-same sky”). They “Vaunt in their youthful sap,” meaning they boast or flourish in their prime, full of vitality. However, even “in their freshest state,” they are destined to “suffer a decay.” This reinforces the universal and inescapable cycle of growth and decline.
The Beloved’s Youth and the Threat of Time
The third quatrain marks a crucial shift, bringing the beloved into the speaker’s contemplation:
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,
The “conceit of this inconstant stay” refers to the idea of life’s temporary nature. This thought immediately brings the beloved, “most rich in youth,” to the speaker’s mind. The speaker personifies “wasteful Time” and “Decay” as adversaries who conspire to transform the beloved’s vibrant “day of youth” into a “sullied night.” This imagery vividly portrays the destructive power of time, threatening to tarnish and diminish beauty.
The Power of Poetic Immortality
The concluding couplet offers the speaker’s powerful resolution:
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.
The speaker declares himself “in war with Time” for the sake of the beloved. The final line presents the solution: “As he takes from you, I engraft you new.” The word “engraft” is particularly significant. In horticulture, to engraft means to insert a shoot or bud from one plant into another so that they grow together. Here, it metaphorically means to embed or preserve the beloved’s essence within the speaker’s verse. Through poetry, the speaker believes he can defy time’s destructive force, ensuring the beloved’s beauty and youth live on, perpetually renewed and celebrated.
Literary Devices in Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows
Shakespeare masterfully employs various literary devices to enrich the meaning and emotional depth of Sonnet 15.
- Metaphor: The poem is built upon the extended metaphor of life as a “huge stage” and humans as actors whose performances are brief.
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
This metaphor emphasizes the transient and performative nature of human existence.
- Simile: A direct comparison using “as” or “like” helps to clarify the speaker’s observations.
When I perceive that men as plants do grow,
This simile vividly links human life cycles to the observable growth and decay of plants.
- Personification: Abstract concepts are given human qualities, making them more relatable and impactful.
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,Time and Decay are personified as active agents, conspiring and debating, highlighting their destructive power.
- Imagery: Sensory details create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height of woe
In their freshest state then suffer a decay;The image of “youthful sap” evokes vitality and freshness, while “sullied night” suggests tarnished beauty and the darkness of aging.
- Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds adds musicality and emphasis.
stars in secret influence comment
The repeated ‘s’ sound creates a hushed, mysterious atmosphere.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds within words creates a sense of flow and connection.
huge stage presenteth nought but shows
The recurring vowel sounds contribute to the poem’s sonic texture.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words enhances the poem’s rhythm and texture.
perceive that men as plants do grow
The repeated ‘v’ and ‘w’ sounds create a subtle echo.
Poetic Devices in Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows
Beyond specific literary techniques, the structural elements of Sonnet 15 are crucial to its overall effect and meaning.
- Sonnet Form: “Sonnet 15” is a Shakespearean, or English, sonnet, consisting of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter. This form typically presents a problem or observation in the first twelve lines and offers a resolution or twist in the final couplet. This structure perfectly suits the poem’s progression from contemplating decay to asserting the power of art.
- Quatrains: The poem is divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas), each developing a distinct aspect of the speaker’s argument.
- The first quatrain observes the brief perfection of all growing things.
- The second quatrain specifically applies this observation to humanity.
- The third quatrain introduces the beloved and the threat of time.
This division allows for a logical and progressive development of the poem’s themes.
- Couplet: The final two lines form a rhyming couplet, which traditionally provides a summary, a turn, or a resolution to the sonnet’s argument.
And all in war with Time for love of you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.This couplet delivers the speaker’s defiant promise to immortalize the beloved through his poetry, offering a powerful conclusion to the preceding observations of decay.
- Iambic Pentameter: Each line of the sonnet typically contains ten syllables, alternating unstressed and stressed beats (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM). This rhythmic pattern mimics natural speech, giving the poem a flowing, conversational quality while maintaining a formal structure. For example, in the line “When I conSIDer EVery THING that GROWS,” the rhythm is evident.
- Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
- A: grows
- B: moment
- A: shows
- B: comment
- C: grow
- D: sky
- C: woe
- D: decay
- E: stay
- F: sight
- E: Decay
- F: night
- G: you
- G: new
This intricate pattern provides musicality and helps to link ideas across the quatrains, culminating in the emphatic final couplet.
Through its insightful observations and masterful use of language, “Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows” remains a powerful exploration of mortality, beauty, and the enduring legacy of art. Shakespeare’s genius shines brightly as he transforms the universal fear of decay into a testament to poetry’s ability to grant immortality.