William Shakespeare:

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Poetry

• William Shakespeare
• Sonnet XII
• Paraphrase and analysis

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Sonnet XII

• When I do count the clock that tells the time,
• And see the brave day sunk in hideous night
• When I behold the violet past prime,
• And sable curls all silvered oer with white
• When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
• Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
• And summers green, all girded up in sheaves,
• Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard
• Then of thy beauty do I question make,
• That thou among the wastes of time must go,
• Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,
• And die as fast as they see the others grow
• And nothing gainst Times scythe can make
  defence
• Save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence.

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A short summary of the sonnet

• Structure 3 quartrains and 1 ryming couplet
• Rhyming scheme ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG
• (Iambic pentametre)
• This sonnet is so famous that it almost makes
  comment superflous.
• It will always be one of the finest sonnets in
  the history of language
• the slow passage of time which brings all things
  to an end is described,
• with significant and devastating effect that
  mortality stares us in the
• face as we read it. The way the sonnet ends, is
  like the ticking of a
• clock or the inexorable motion of a pendulum as
  it beats from side to
• side. This gives the impression that nothing will
  be saved, because of
• the flowing of time. This is the sonnet of THE
  FLOWING OF TIME.

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First line When I do count the clock that
tells the time,
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Second lineAnd see the brave day sunk in
hideous night
6
Third lineWhen I behold the violet past prime,
7
Fourth lineAnd sable curls, all silvered oer
with white
8
Fifth lineWhen lofty trees I see barren of
leaves,
9
Sixth lineWhich erst from heat did canopy the
herd,
10
Seventh lineAnd summers green, all girded up
in sheaves,
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Eighth line Borne on the bier with white and
bristly beard
12
Nineth line Then of thy beauty do I question
make,
13
Tenth lineThat thou among the wastes of time
must go,
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Eleventh line Since sweets and beauties do
themselves forsake,
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Twelveth line And die as fast as they see
others grow
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Thirteenth lineAnd nothing gainst Times
scythe can make defence
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Fourteenth line (last) Save breed to brave him
when he takes thee hence.
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Paraphrase

• - When Im checking what time it is,
• - and Im watching the sunset
• - when I look at the witherned violet,
• - and golden curly hair becoming white
• - when I see the mighty treed without leaves,
• - that before protected the canopy from the heat
• - and summers grass girds,
• - becoming as a white and bristly beard.
• - When I ask questions because of your beauty,
• - you must go among the runes of time
• - since everything beautiful and sweet must end.
• - While the others die as fast as they see their
  sons grow.
• - Nothing can stop time,
• - Only having children can help you to fight the
  passing of time before it brings
• you away

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Presented by (in order of speaking) - Andrea
Baldini - Katharina Rolan - Rudy Carezzevoli -
Andrea Capolli

• 19th May 06