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. Sonnet 63 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Against my love shall be as I am now 02. With time's injurious hand crushed and o'er-worn, 03. When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow 04. With lines and wrinkles; when his youthful morn 05. Hath travelled on to Age's steepy night, 06. And all those beauties whereof now he's King 07. Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight, 08. Stealing away the treasure of his Spring; 09. For such a time do I now fortify 10. Against confounding Age's cruel knife, 11. That he shall never cut from memory 12. My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life; 13. His beauty shall in these black lines be seen, 14. And they shall live, and he in them still green. |
. Sonnet 63 . (paraphrased) 01. In preparation against the time when my beloved friend shall be as I am now - 02. Looking like crumpled paper crushed by the hand of time, and worn out - 03. When the passage of time has exhausted his blood, and filled his brow 04. With lines and wrinkles; when his youthful day, like morning now, 05. Has moved on to the low, stooped night of old age, 06. And all those handsome features which now make him look so majestic, 07. Are vanishing, or already gone, no longer to be seen, 08. Because of age taking away the value of his springtime of life; 09. In preparation for that time, I will now defend and secure, 10. Against the Grim Reaper's cruel sickle, which cuts down all living things, 11. So that Death shall never cut out of memory, 12. My sweet love's glory, although age will eventually take my lover's life, 13. His beauty shall, in these inked words on paper, be known, 14. And those lines about him shall live, and he, as portrayed in words, shall always be young. |
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Sonnet 63 Gloss
L2: injurious = harmful. L2: crushed = looking like crushed, crumpled paper. L2: o'er-worn = worn out. L3: drained = exhausted; depleted. Weakened. (Note, to the right.) L5: steepy = lowered; stooped. (Note, to the right.) L6: King = the leader. Reference to the addressee looking majestic in his youth. L8: Stealing = taking. L9: fortify = defend; secure. L10: confounding = defeating; overthrowing (the King mentioned.) To overthrow is to "cut down." L10: cruel knife = the sickle of the Grim Reaper. L13: seen = known. L14: green = young. |
Sonnet 63 Notes
The word "they" in line 14 has ambiguity as to what writing is referenced. It could be only this Sonnet, or it could be this Sonnet plus other writing. It probably means the Playwright used the admired young man as the basis for a play character. Under that interpretation, the phrase "these black lines" would mean, "these lines of dialogue, that I have near at hand." If the Poet wanted to honor somebody, the best way he had to do that was to make the person a play character, since the writing of plays, not Sonnets, was his major occupation. Certainly some of his play characters are handsome (when properly cast) and forever young. ------- L3: drained = exhausted; depleted. Weakened. Under the theory of the four humors, blood was associated with springtime, love, courage and hope, so the idea of the blood being drained implies loss of vigor and a general decline. L5: steepy = lowered; stooped. The words "steep" and "stoop" are related. Age causes a lowering of the posture, and night is a "low" time in various ways (less light, less activity.) |
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