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. Sonnet 81 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Or I shall live your Epitaph to make, 02. Or you survive when I in earth am rotten, 03. From hence your memory death cannot take, 04. Although in me each part will be forgotten. 05. Your name from hence immortal life shall have, 06. Though I (once gone) to all the world must die, 07. The earth can yield me but a common grave, 08. When you entombed in men's eyes shall lie. 09. Your monument shall be my gentle verse, 10. Which eyes not yet created shall o'er-read, 11. And tongues to be, your being shall rehearse, 12. When all the breathers of this world are dead, 13. You still shall live (such virtue hath my Pen) 14. Where breath most breathes, even in the mouths of men. |
. Sonnet 81 . (paraphrased) 01. Whether I shall live to write your epitaph, 02. Or you're still alive when I'm dead and buried in the earth, 03. From this time forward, death cannot take away the memory of you, from among men, 04. Although everything about me will be forgotten. 05. From now on, your personality shall have immortal life, 06. Although I (when I'm gone) will just die, as far as all the world knows, 07. All that the earth can provide to me, in the future, is an ordinary grave, 08. While you shall reside in the "house" of men's eyes. 09. Your remembrance, among men, shall be through my noble verse, 10. Which the eyes of persons not yet born will read, in the future, 11. And voices, that don't yet exist, shall rehearse your personality, 12. When all the actors of these present times are dead. 13. You shall always exist (because my writing has that power) 14. Where life speaks the most, from the mouths of living men. |
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Sonnet 81 Gloss
L1: Or = either. L1: make = write. L2: rotten = dead and buried. L4: part = role. L5: name = character name. L8: entombed = housed. Compare the French 'maison mortuaire' = house of the dead. A tomb or grave is figuratively a "house." L8: lie = be placed. "Reside." L9: monument = remembrance. L9: gentle = noble. It has the implication of being a "ruler." The Poet is saying this is an area where his verse will "rule." Nobility implies ruling a domain. L11: being = personality. L11: rehearse - The word is literal. The Poet is referring to the addressee serving as the basis for a play character, in a Shakespeare play. L12: breathers = speakers. Actors. L12: of this world = of this time. L13: still = always. L13: live = exist (after a fashion.) L13: Pen = writing ability. L14: breath = life. L14: breathes = speaks. |
Sonnet 81 Notes
In Sonnet 81, the Poet is alluding to the fact that he has made the addressee a play character. Since the Poet expressed such confidence, it means he knew the play was already published. The "name" of line 5 is, in fact, known to the world, however, it is not the addressee's personal name, it's his Shakespeare character name in one of the plays. Exactly which play, and which character, is not apparent from the Sonnet. The "gentle verse" of line 9 is not this Sonnet, it is reference to the verse in a play. Shakespeare was mostly a playwright, of course. ------- |
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