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. Sonnet 55 . . Hamnet's Memorial Sonnet . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Not marble, nor the gilded monuments 02. Of Princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme, 03. But you shall shine more bright in these contents 04. Than unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time. 05. When wasteful war shall Statues overturn, 06. And broils root out the work of masonry, 07. Nor Mars his sword, nor war's quick fire shall burn 08. The living record of your memory. 09. 'Gainst death, and all-oblivious enmity 10. Shall you pace forth, your praise shall still find room, 11. Even in the eyes of all posterity 12. That wear this world out to the ending doom. 13. So till the judgment that yourself arise, 14. You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes. |
. Sonnet 55 . . Hamnet's Memorial Sonnet . (paraphrased) 01. Neither marble edifices, nor the golden monuments 02. Of princes shall outlive this irresistible rhyme, 03. But you shall exist more glowingly in the content of these lines 04. Than your statue would in stone, tarnished by neglectful time. 05. When ruinous war shall overturn statues, 06. And tumults shall uproot works of masonry, 07. Neither the flaming sword of Mars, himself, nor war's piercing fire, shall burn 08. The lasting record of your memory. 09. Against death, and all-oblivious hostility 10. You shall step forth, praise for you shall always find a place to live, 11. Even to be seen by all posterity, 12. That inhabits this world until the end, on judgment day. 13. So, until the day of final judgment, when you, yourself, arise, 14. You'll live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes. |
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Sonnet 55 Gloss
L1: marble = structures made of marble. L1: gilded = golden; decorated with gold. L2: powerful = irresistible. L4: unswept = ancient and untended (and therefore dirty from neglect.) L4: sluttish = careless; neglectful. L5: wasteful = causing waste; ruinous. L6: broils = embroilments; tumults. L6: root out = uproot. L7: quick = piercing. Intense. The concept of intense fire that pierces to the quick. Also, fire is one of the quick elements (with air; earth and water are the heavy, slow elements.) L8: living = lasting. L9: all-oblivious = oblivious to all human considerations. L9: enmity = hostility. L10: pace = step. L10: still = always. L10: room = a place (to live.) L12: wear = occupy, inhabit. The figure of speech is of people "wearing" the world like clothing, until it eventually wears out. L14: dwell = have a home. L14: lovers = poetry lovers. |
Sonnet 55 Notes
The point of the first quatrain is that this Sonnet will preserve a reference to the addressee longer than a marble statue in a temple would. That's possible. It's too early to say, but this Sonnet might, indeed, outlast any stone temple mankind ever builds. It has a chance of doing that. So, who is it, who's the person referenced by the Sonnet? "Shine more bright" . . . what shines bright? The sun does. Son. The person's name is Hamnet. Sonnet 55 is Hamnet's Memorial Sonnet. ------- |
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