Who will believe my verse in time to come,
If it were fill’d with your most high deserts?
Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb
Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes,
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say ‘This poet lies;
Such heavenly touches ne’er touch’d earthly faces.’
So should my papers, yellow’d with their age,
Be scorn’d, like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be term’d a poet’s rage
And stretched metre of an antique song:
But were some child of yours alive that time,
You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.
Analysis of Sonnet 17: “Who Will Believe My Verse In Time To Come”
Line 1: “Who will believe my verse in time to come,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Verse – Poetry.
- Time to come – The future.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare begins by doubting the credibility of his poetry in the future. He wonders if future generations will believe his descriptions of the young man’s beauty.
Line 2: “If it were fill’d with your most high deserts?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Most high deserts – Your greatest qualities or virtues.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
He suggests that if he writes honestly about the young man’s greatness, people in the future might think he is exaggerating.
Line 3: “Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Heaven knows – An oath meaning “God is my witness.”
- Tomb – A grave, a metaphor for poetry.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare compares his poetry to a tomb—instead of fully capturing the young man’s beauty, it only preserves a shadow of it.
Line 4: “Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Hides your life – Poetry cannot fully express the young man’s true essence.
- Not half your parts – It does not even show half of his greatness.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Even though poetry tries to immortalize, it can never fully capture someone’s true essence. The young man is far greater than what words can express.
Line 5: “If I could write the beauty of your eyes,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- The beauty of your eyes – A reference to the young man’s physical beauty and depth of character.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare expresses a desire to accurately describe the young man’s beauty, but he knows it may seem unbelievable.
Line 6: “And in fresh numbers number all your graces,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Fresh numbers – New verses (poetry).
- Number all your graces – List all of your virtues and qualities.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Even if he writes new and innovative poetry describing every detail of the young man’s beauty and virtues, people might still doubt him.
Line 7: “The age to come would say ‘This poet lies;’”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- The age to come – Future generations.
- This poet lies – Future readers might accuse Shakespeare of exaggeration.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare fears that his praise will seem too unrealistic—so much so that future readers will think he is lying.
Line 8: “Such heavenly touches ne’er touch’d earthly faces.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Heavenly touches – Divine beauty.
- Ne’er touch’d earthly faces – No human could possibly be this beautiful.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Future readers might believe that no real person could be as beautiful as Shakespeare describes, assuming that his poetry is pure fantasy.
Line 9: “So should my papers, yellow’d with their age,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Yellow’d with their age – Old, worn-out papers.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Over time, Shakespeare’s poems will physically age—the ink will fade, the paper will turn yellow—making them seem even more outdated and unreliable.
Line 10: “Be scorn’d, like old men of less truth than tongue,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Be scorn’d – Be dismissed as untrustworthy.
- Old men of less truth than tongue – Old men who talk too much but don’t speak the truth.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Just as people often dismiss the words of old men, they might also dismiss Shakespeare’s poetry as exaggerated nonsense.
Line 11: “And your true rights be term’d a poet’s rage”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Your true rights – The truth about your beauty and virtues.
- Poet’s rage – Poetic exaggeration or over-the-top praise.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare fears that the truth of the young man’s beauty will be dismissed as poetic exaggeration rather than genuine admiration.
Line 12: “And stretched metre of an antique song:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Stretched metre – Forced or unnatural poetry.
- Antique song – An old, outdated poem.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Future readers might see Shakespeare’s words as flowery, artificial, and old-fashioned, rather than an honest reflection of the young man’s beauty.
Line 13: “But were some child of yours alive that time,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Were some child of yours alive – If you had a child.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
If the young man had a child, then his beauty would still exist in reality, proving Shakespeare’s poetry true.
Line 14: “You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Live twice – Be immortal in two ways.
- In it – Through your child.
- In my rhyme – Through Shakespeare’s poetry.
In-depth Explanation & Context:
Shakespeare concludes that the young man can achieve true immortality in two ways:
- Through his descendants (biological immortality).
- Through Shakespeare’s poetry (literary immortality).
Final Thoughts on Sonnet 17:
This sonnet brings together two major themes of Shakespeare’s early sonnets:
- Poetry as a means of immortality.
- Procreation as a way to preserve beauty.
Shakespeare doubts whether poetry alone will be enough to preserve the young man’s beauty, suggesting that having children is the best way to ensure that he truly “lives on.”
Summary
In Sonnet 17, Shakespeare worries that future generations will not believe his poetry if he writes truthfully about the young man’s unparalleled beauty and virtues. He fears that his words will be dismissed as exaggerations or poetic lies, as they will seem too incredible to be real.
He describes his own poetry as a “tomb”, suggesting that while it preserves the young man’s memory, it cannot fully capture his living essence. Even if he could write perfectly about his beauty, future readers would still be skeptical—they might dismiss his verses as romanticized fiction rather than reality.
Shakespeare then contrasts poetry’s limited power with the enduring proof of a child. If the young man had a descendant, that child would serve as living evidence of his beauty, making his poetry more believable. The closing couplet reinforces the idea that true immortality lies both in poetry and in biological lineage—a child would allow the young man to “live twice”.
Critical Analysis
1. The Limitations of Poetry
- Shakespeare expresses doubt in his own art, questioning whether poetry can truly preserve someone’s essence and beauty.
- He calls his verse “a tomb”, suggesting that while it memorializes, it cannot fully recreate the young man’s life.
- He fears that future generations will dismiss his descriptions as over-the-top flattery rather than truth.
2. The Power of Procreation vs. Artistic Immortality
- The contrast between poetry and procreation is central to this sonnet.
- A child would serve as physical proof that the poet’s words were true, while poetry alone is subject to doubt and skepticism.
- Shakespeare suggests that literary fame alone is not enough—true legacy comes from both art and lineage.
3. The Anxiety of Time and Perception
- The poet fears that as time passes, his words will become outdated and unreliable.
- He compares his future poetry to old men, implying that it might seem irrelevant or unbelievable to later generations.
- This reflects a broader theme in Shakespeare’s sonnets: the tension between artistic permanence and human skepticism.
Themes
1. The Fragility of Artistic Legacy
- Shakespeare questions whether art can truly preserve someone’s beauty and virtues.
- Even though poetry aims to be immortal, future generations might dismiss it as exaggerated fiction.
2. The Superiority of Procreation Over Art
- A living descendant serves as proof of beauty in a way that poetry never could.
- This reinforces Shakespeare’s frequent argument that having children is the best way to fight time’s decay.
3. Time and Mortality
- The poem expresses anxiety about how time distorts truth.
- Poetry, like old age, may be seen as unreliable, while a child remains undeniable proof of past beauty.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor – Poetry as a “Tomb”
- “Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb / Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts.”
- The poet compares his verse to a tomb, implying that it preserves the young man but cannot fully bring him to life.
2. Hyperbole – The Young Man’s Beauty
- “Such heavenly touches ne’er touch’d earthly faces.”
- Shakespeare imagines that future readers will think his praise is exaggerated, showing how beauty beyond words is unbelievable.
3. Personification – Poetry as an Old Man
- “So should my papers, yellow’d with their age, / Be scorn’d, like old men of less truth than tongue.”
- Shakespeare personifies his poetry as an old man, suggesting that, over time, his words will be seen as weak and unreliable.
4. Parallelism – Living Twice
- “You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.”
- The phrase balances the two forms of immortality—biological (a child) and artistic (poetry).
Conclusion
Sonnet 17 expresses Shakespeare’s concern about the credibility of poetry. He fears that future readers will dismiss his words as mere poetic exaggeration. While his verses can preserve the memory of the young man, they cannot prove his beauty was real.
Ultimately, Shakespeare concludes that the best solution is to have a child—which would serve as undeniable proof of his youthful beauty. This reinforces the sonnet sequence’s central argument: that procreation is a more reliable path to immortality than poetry alone.
