Sonnet 63: Against My Love Shall Be As I Am Now
Against my love shall be as I am now,
With Time’s injurious hand crush’d and o’erworn;
When hours have drain’d his blood and fill’d his brow
With lines and wrinkles; when his youthful morn
Hath travell’d on to age’s steepy night;
And all those beauties whereof now he’s king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring;
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age’s cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love’s beauty, though my lover’s life:
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.
Line 1:
“Against my love shall be as I am now,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Against: In anticipation of, preparing for.
- Shall be: Will become.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker begins by anticipating a future where their beloved will age, just as the speaker has. The phrase “as I am now” suggests that the speaker is already experiencing the effects of time, such as aging or weariness. The line sets the stage for a reflection on the inevitability of time’s impact on beauty and youth. The speaker is preparing to “fortify” against this future, hinting at the poem’s central theme: the preservation of love and beauty through poetry.
Line 2:
“With Time’s injurious hand crush’d and o’erworn;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Injurious: Harmful, damaging.
- Crush’d: Crushed, worn down.
- O’erworn: Worn out, exhausted.
Text and Context Explanation:
Time is personified as a destructive force, its “injurious hand” crushing and wearing down the beloved, just as it has done to the speaker. The imagery evokes physical decay and the relentless passage of time. The word “o’erworn” suggests not just physical aging but also emotional or spiritual weariness. This line emphasizes the inevitability of time’s destructive power, setting up the speaker’s attempt to counteract it through poetry.
Line 3:
“When hours have drain’d his blood and fill’d his brow”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Drain’d: Drained, exhausted.
- Brow: Forehead, often associated with expression or aging (e.g., wrinkles).
Text and Context Explanation:
The “hours” symbolize the passage of time, which slowly drains the beloved’s vitality (“drain’d his blood”) and marks his face with signs of aging (“fill’d his brow” with wrinkles). The imagery is vivid, portraying time as a force that saps energy and leaves visible traces of its passage. This line continues the theme of time’s destructive power, emphasizing its physical effects on the beloved.
Line 4:
“With lines and wrinkles; when his youthful morn”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Youthful morn: The morning of youth, symbolizing the early, vibrant stage of life.
Text and Context Explanation:
The “lines and wrinkles” are the physical marks of aging, contrasting sharply with the “youthful morn,” a metaphor for the beloved’s current state of youth and beauty. The juxtaposition highlights the inevitable transition from youth to old age. The speaker laments this loss, reinforcing the poem’s central concern with the fleeting nature of beauty.
Line 5:
“Hath travell’d on to age’s steepy night;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Travell’d: Traveled, progressed.
- Steepy night: A difficult, dark period, symbolizing old age.
Text and Context Explanation:
The beloved’s journey from youth (“youthful morn”) to old age (“age’s steepy night”) is described as a difficult climb into darkness. “Steepy night” suggests both the physical challenges of aging and the metaphorical darkness of losing one’s beauty and vitality. The line underscores the inevitability of this journey and the speaker’s sorrow at the thought.
Line 6:
“And all those beauties whereof now he’s king”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Whereof: Of which.
- King: Ruler, master (here, the beloved is the “king” of beauty).
Text and Context Explanation:
The beloved is currently the “king” of beauty, possessing all the qualities that make him radiant and admired. However, this line hints at the temporary nature of his reign, as time will eventually strip him of these beauties. The speaker’s admiration for the beloved’s current state is tinged with sadness, knowing it cannot last.
Line 7:
“Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Vanishing: Disappearing.
- Out of sight: Gone, no longer visible.
Text and Context Explanation:
The beloved’s beauties are either in the process of vanishing or have already disappeared. This line emphasizes the transient nature of physical beauty, which fades with time. The speaker’s use of the present and past tenses (“vanishing, or vanished”) suggests that the process is ongoing and inevitable.
Line 8:
“Stealing away the treasure of his spring;”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Stealing away: Secretly taking away.
- Treasure of his spring: The precious qualities of his youth.
Text and Context Explanation:
Time is personified as a thief, “stealing away” the beloved’s youthful beauty, described as the “treasure of his spring.” Spring symbolizes vitality, freshness, and growth, all of which are lost as time progresses. The imagery of theft underscores the speaker’s sense of injustice and helplessness in the face of time’s power.
Line 9:
“For such a time do I now fortify”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Fortify: Strengthen, prepare defenses.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker declares their intention to “fortify” against the destructive effects of time. This suggests a proactive effort to preserve the beloved’s beauty, not through physical means but through the enduring power of poetry. The line marks a shift in the poem, as the speaker transitions from lamenting time’s effects to proposing a solution.
Line 10:
“Against confounding age’s cruel knife,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Confounding: Bewildering, defeating.
- Cruel knife: A metaphor for time’s destructive power.
Text and Context Explanation:
Time’s destructive power is likened to a “cruel knife,” which cuts away at beauty and youth. The speaker aims to protect the beloved from this “confounding” force, suggesting that poetry can serve as a shield against time’s ravages. The imagery of a knife emphasizes the violence and inevitability of aging.
Line 11:
“That he shall never cut from memory”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Cut from memory: Erase from memory.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker vows that time’s “knife” will not erase the beloved’s beauty from memory. This line reinforces the idea that poetry can immortalize the beloved, preserving their beauty even as time takes its toll. Memory becomes a battleground where the speaker fights to keep the beloved alive in thought and verse.
Line 12:
“My sweet love’s beauty, though my lover’s life:”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Sweet love’s beauty: The beloved’s physical and spiritual beauty.
- Though: Even if.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that while the beloved’s life may end, their beauty will endure through the poem. This line highlights the tension between the physical decay of the body and the eternal nature of art. The speaker’s love transcends mortality, preserved in the “black lines” of the poem.
Line 13:
“His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Black lines: The written words of the poem.
Text and Context Explanation:
The “black lines” of the poem will capture and preserve the beloved’s beauty, making it visible to future readers. This line celebrates the power of poetry to defy time, offering a form of immortality. The contrast between “black lines” and the beloved’s beauty suggests that even in a static medium, the beloved’s essence can live on.
Line 14:
“And they shall live, and he in them still green.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Still green: Forever youthful and vibrant.
Text and Context Explanation:
The poem itself will live on, and within it, the beloved will remain “still green”—forever youthful and beautiful. This final line encapsulates the sonnet’s central theme: the triumph of art over time. The beloved’s beauty, preserved in verse, will never fade, offering a form of eternal life.
Summary of the Sonnet:
Sonnet 63 explores the destructive power of time and the poet’s attempt to counteract it through the enduring power of poetry. The speaker laments the inevitable aging and loss of beauty but finds solace in the idea that their verse can immortalize the beloved. The sonnet is a testament to the belief that art can transcend mortality, preserving love and beauty for future generations.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 63
Summary
In Sonnet 63, Shakespeare anticipates the inevitable aging of his beloved and seeks to counteract time’s destructive effects through poetry. He envisions a future when his beloved, like the speaker, will be old and worn down by “Time’s injurious hand.” Youthful beauty will fade, and the vigor of youth will be lost.
To resist this decay, the speaker seeks to “fortify” his love against time’s cruel effects. He acknowledges that his beloved’s life will eventually end, but he asserts that poetry will preserve the beloved’s beauty for eternity. The sonnet concludes with a powerful affirmation that, through the written word, the beloved will remain “still green” (forever youthful) in the eyes of future readers.
Critical Analysis
1. The Inevitable Decay of Beauty and Life
- The speaker begins with a grim recognition that time will eventually wear down his beloved’s beauty.
- “When hours have drain’d his blood and fill’d his brow / With lines and wrinkles” vividly illustrates the physical effects of aging.
- The phrase “age’s steepy night” metaphorically equates old age with darkness and decline, contrasting with the “youthful morn.”
2. Poetry as a Defense Against Time
- The speaker sees poetry as a form of resistance against “age’s cruel knife.”
- “That he shall never cut from memory / My sweet love’s beauty” suggests that poetry serves as an immortalizing force.
- This is a continuation of the Shakespearean immortality theme—the belief that poetry can outlast physical existence.
3. The Speaker’s Role as a Preserver
- Unlike in other sonnets where the beloved is encouraged to have children as a means of preserving beauty (the procreation sonnets), here the speaker positions himself as the guardian of the beloved’s memory.
- The phrase “for such a time do I now fortify” suggests an active defense, as if the poet is building a literary monument against time.
4. The Contrast Between Physical and Literary Immortality
- “His beauty shall in these black lines be seen” refers to the written words of the poem itself.
- “And they shall live, and he in them still green” emphasizes the contrast between natural decay and the timelessness of art.
- The word “green” symbolizes youth, vitality, and renewal—suggesting that the beloved’s beauty will never wither in the lines of poetry.
Theme Analysis
1. The Transience of Youth and Beauty
- The poem acknowledges that all physical beauty fades with time.
- The speaker recognizes that both he and his beloved will eventually grow old and frail.
2. The Power of Poetry to Preserve Memory
- Shakespeare’s belief in poetry’s ability to immortalize is central to this sonnet.
- The speaker asserts that while time may destroy physical beauty, poetry will keep his beloved’s youth alive.
3. The Struggle Against Time
- Time is personified as a cruel, destructive force, cutting away youth and beauty.
- The speaker’s poetry acts as a weapon against this inevitable loss, securing a place for the beloved beyond mortality.
4. Love as Eternal Through Art
- Even though the beloved will one day perish, love and admiration endure in the written word.
- The poem serves as an expression of deep affection, ensuring that the beloved’s beauty will remain in human memory.
Literary Devices
1. Personification: Time as a Violent Force
- “Time’s injurious hand crush’d and o’erworn.”
- Time is depicted as an active, destructive entity, reinforcing the idea of its relentless power.
2. Metaphor: Aging as a Journey
- “When his youthful morn / Hath travelled on to age’s steepy night.”
- Youth is likened to morning, while old age is night, showing the passage of time as a natural progression.
3. Symbolism: Black Lines as Eternal Writing
- “His beauty shall in these black lines be seen.”
- The “black lines” symbolize poetry itself—written words that preserve beauty beyond physical decay.
4. Contrast Between Youth and Age
- The poem moves from the present vitality of the beloved to the inevitable future decay.
- However, the closing couplet restores youth in poetry, reversing time’s effects.
Conclusion
Sonnet 63 is a meditation on aging, loss, and the power of poetry to defy time. The speaker acknowledges that both he and his beloved will succumb to time’s ravages, but he offers a solution: poetry. By capturing the beloved’s beauty in verse, he ensures that their memory will endure, untouched by time’s “injurious hand.” Through rich imagery, personification, and contrast, Shakespeare reaffirms the theme of poetic immortality, making this sonnet a powerful testament to love and artistic legacy.
