Sonnet 65: Since Brass, Nor Stone, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless Sea
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
But sad mortality o’ersways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
O! how shall summer’s honey breath hold out,
Against the wrackful siege of battering days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong but Time decays?
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
Shall Time’s best jewel from Time’s chest lie hid?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
O! none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.
Line 1:
“Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Brass: A durable metal, often used for monuments.
- Boundless sea: The vast, seemingly infinite ocean.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker begins by listing things that are traditionally seen as strong and enduring: brass, stone, earth, and the boundless sea. These elements symbolize permanence and resilience, yet the speaker suggests that even they are not immune to time’s power. This line sets up the central question of the sonnet: if even these strong things cannot withstand time, how can something as fragile as beauty survive?
Line 2:
“But sad mortality o’ersways their power,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Sad mortality: The inevitability of death and decay.
- O’ersways: Overpowers, dominates.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker acknowledges that “sad mortality” (the inevitability of death and decay) overpowers even the strongest elements listed in the previous line. This reinforces the idea that nothing is immune to time’s destructive force, no matter how durable or eternal it may seem.
Line 3:
“How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Rage: Fury, destructive force (here, time’s power).
- Hold a plea: Make a case, defend itself.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker questions how beauty, which is delicate and fragile, can possibly defend itself against time’s “rage.” The word “plea” suggests a legal or formal defense, emphasizing the futility of beauty’s struggle against time’s overwhelming power.
Line 4:
“Whose action is no stronger than a flower?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Action: Strength, power.
Text and Context Explanation:
Beauty is compared to a flower, which is delicate and short-lived. The speaker emphasizes the fragility of beauty, suggesting that it has no real strength to resist time’s destructive force. This line underscores the vulnerability of beauty and love in the face of inevitable decay.
Line 5:
“O! how shall summer’s honey breath hold out,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Summer’s honey breath: The sweet, fragrant air of summer, symbolizing beauty and vitality.
- Hold out: Endure, survive.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker uses the image of “summer’s honey breath” to represent the fleeting beauty and vitality of life. The question of how it can “hold out” against time’s assault reflects the speaker’s despair at the inevitability of loss.
Line 6:
“Against the wrackful siege of battering days,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Wrackful: Destructive, ruinous.
- Siege: A prolonged attack.
- Battering days: The relentless passage of time.
Text and Context Explanation:
Time is personified as a destructive force, laying siege to beauty with its “battering days.” The imagery of a siege suggests a prolonged and relentless assault, emphasizing the inevitability of beauty’s defeat.
Line 7:
“When rocks impregnable are not so stout,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Impregnable: Unconquerable, invincible.
- Stout: Strong, durable.
Text and Context Explanation:
Even rocks, which seem unconquerable, are not strong enough to withstand time’s power. This line reinforces the idea that nothing, no matter how seemingly invincible, can resist the effects of time.
Line 8:
“Nor gates of steel so strong but Time decays?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Gates of steel: Strong barriers, symbolizing resistance.
- Decays: Destroys, erodes.
Text and Context Explanation:
Even “gates of steel,” which symbolize the strongest forms of resistance, cannot withstand time’s decay. This line drives home the futility of trying to protect beauty or love from time’s inevitable effects.
Line 9:
“O fearful meditation! where, alack,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Fearful meditation: A troubling thought.
- Alack: An expression of sorrow or regret.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker describes their reflections as “fearful meditation,” acknowledging the deep sorrow and anxiety caused by the realization that time will destroy all beauty. The word “alack” conveys a sense of lament and helplessness.
Line 10:
“Shall Time’s best jewel from Time’s chest lie hid?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Time’s best jewel: The most precious things, such as beauty or love.
- Chest: A storage place, here symbolizing time’s grasp.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker wonders if anything precious (“Time’s best jewel”) can be hidden from time’s grasp. This line reflects the speaker’s desperation to find a way to preserve beauty and love, even as they acknowledge the inevitability of loss.
Line 11:
“Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Swift foot: Time’s rapid and unstoppable progress.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker questions whether any force (“strong hand”) can stop time’s relentless advance (“swift foot”). This line emphasizes the futility of trying to resist time’s power, as nothing can slow or halt its progress.
Line 12:
“Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Spoil: Plunder, destruction.
- Forbid: Prevent, stop.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker asks who can prevent time from destroying beauty. The word “spoil” suggests that time plunders and ruins beauty, reinforcing the idea that beauty is helpless against time’s destructive force.
Line 13:
“O! none, unless this miracle have might,”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Miracle: An extraordinary event, here referring to poetry.
- Might: Power, strength.
Text and Context Explanation:
The speaker concludes that only a “miracle” (the power of poetry) can preserve beauty and love. This line introduces the idea that art, specifically the written word, has the unique ability to defy time and immortalize what would otherwise be lost.
Line 14:
“That in black ink my love may still shine bright.”
Difficult Words Meaning:
- Black ink: The written word, poetry.
- Shine bright: Remain vibrant and alive.
Text and Context Explanation:
The final line celebrates the power of poetry to preserve love and beauty. The “black ink” of the poem allows the speaker’s love to “shine bright,” defying time’s destructive power. This line encapsulates the sonnet’s central theme: the triumph of art over mortality.
Summary of the Sonnet:
Sonnet 65 is a meditation on the fragility of beauty and love in the face of time’s relentless power. The speaker laments the inevitability of decay and loss but finds hope in the idea that poetry can preserve what time would otherwise destroy. The sonnet celebrates the enduring power of art, suggesting that through the written word, love and beauty can achieve a form of immortality.
In-Depth Analysis of Sonnet 65
Summary
In Sonnet 65, Shakespeare continues his meditation on the destructive power of time, questioning how beauty—fragile as a flower—can possibly withstand its relentless assault when even the strongest materials (brass, stone, earth, and sea) are eventually worn down. The speaker laments that even summer’s “honey breath” is powerless against time’s “battering days.” As he ponders whether anything can preserve beauty, he arrives at a single hopeful possibility: poetry. The final couplet suggests that, despite time’s destructive force, the written word—”black ink”—may have the miraculous power to keep love shining bright.
Critical Analysis
1. The Fragility of Beauty vs. The Power of Time
- The poem sets up a contrast between enduring materials (brass, stone, earth, and the sea) and fleeting beauty.
- While these elements are known for their strength, even they cannot resist time’s decay.
- The rhetorical question in line 4—“Whose action is no stronger than a flower?”—highlights how delicate beauty is in comparison.
2. The Impossibility of Resisting Time
- Time is presented as a ruthless force that overpowers all things.
- The imagery of a “wrackful siege of battering days” likens time’s passage to an unrelenting war, destroying even “rocks impregnable” and “gates of steel.”
- The repetition of questions (“O fearful meditation! where, alack, / Shall Time’s best jewel from Time’s chest lie hid?”) reveals the speaker’s desperation to find a way to protect beauty.
3. The Hope of Poetry as Preservation
- The final couplet introduces a potential “miracle”: the ability of poetry to immortalize love.
- “That in black ink my love may still shine bright” suggests that written words can preserve beauty, even when physical forms decay.
- Unlike Sonnet 64, which ends in sorrow, Sonnet 65 concludes on a note of optimism, reinforcing the theme of poetic immortality.
Theme Analysis
1. The Transience of All Things
- The poem emphasizes that nothing—no matter how strong—can withstand time’s erosion.
- Even seemingly eternal elements like stone and metal will eventually fall to decay.
2. The Fragility of Beauty
- Beauty is likened to a flower, highlighting its temporary and delicate nature.
- The metaphor of “summer’s honey breath” suggests that even nature’s sweetest moments are fleeting.
3. The Power of Poetry to Grant Immortality
- The closing couplet introduces poetry as a form of preservation.
- The phrase “black ink” symbolizes the written word, which can protect love and beauty from time’s ravages.
- This reflects Shakespeare’s recurring belief that poetry outlives physical decay, ensuring the endurance of memory and admiration.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor: Time as a Warrior
- “Wrackful siege of battering days” compares time to a relentless military force, destroying everything in its path.
- This war imagery reinforces the idea that nothing can resist time’s onslaught.
2. Personification: Time as a Thief
- “Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?”
- Time is depicted as a thief, stealing beauty and youth.
- This aligns with Shakespeare’s broader depiction of time as a destructive, all-consuming force.
3. Rhetorical Questions
- The poem is structured around a series of desperate questions:
- “How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea?”
- “What strong hand can hold his swift foot back?”
- These emphasize the inevitability of time’s destruction while amplifying the speaker’s anxiety about losing beauty.
4. Contrast: Strength vs. Fragility
- The poem contrasts powerful elements (brass, stone, earth, sea) with fragile beauty (a flower, summer’s breath).
- This highlights the seeming impossibility of beauty’s survival.
5. Paradox in the Final Couplet
- “That in black ink my love may still shine bright”
- The contrast between “black ink” (which suggests darkness and permanence) and “shine bright” (which suggests light and life) creates a paradox.
- This paradox underscores the miraculous power of poetry to grant immortality.
Conclusion
Sonnet 65 presents a deeply philosophical meditation on time’s inevitable destruction, yet it offers a glimmer of hope. While nothing in nature can withstand time’s power, the speaker suggests that poetry might be the exception—an enduring testament to love and beauty. The final couplet shifts the sonnet from despair to optimism, reinforcing Shakespeare’s belief in the written word’s ability to preserve what would otherwise be lost. Through powerful imagery, personification, and contrast, Sonnet 65 stands as one of Shakespeare’s most poignant reflections on mortality and artistic legacy.
