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Time has been portrayed as a powerful element, which spoils the marbled or gilded monuments. It discolours them, breaks them or makes them dirty through its agencies like air, rain, etc.

The personification of time as a slut or a woman of loose-character is quite significant. As a slut is not faithful to any one man, in the same way, time also keeps changing for people. It never remains the same.

The poet has personified time as a whore, a woman who is unfaithful. Time is never the same for a person. Even very great men are forgotten with the passage of time.

The words of this poem written in praise of the poet’s beloved will survive as a living record of his beloved’s memory. His beloved will be remembered by the coming generations through the words of this poem. Neither the wasteful wars, nor conflicts nor tumults will diminish or dim the shining glory of these words. The words of this sonnet will immortalize the poet’s beloved’s memory.

Value Points :

The living record of memory will not be washed away/broken/destroyed as it is in the form of poetry while all the other things will be destroyed.

Detailed Answer :

The poet calls the verses as the ‘living record’. This living record can’t be washed away, broken or destroyed by anything be it time or wasteful wars whereas, all the other things will get destroyed with the passage of time.

(a) the poem.

(b) the poet’s friend.

(c) the God of war.

(d) broils

(a) They will uproot monuments and overturn statues.

(b) The poem written in his praise.

(c) Alliteration.

(d) abab

The poet’s friend will live forever through his verse. Everything else will be destroyed by the powerful passage of time. The poem will serve as a written record which will move forward against death that makes others forget everything. But posterity, will read his verses and admire them till doomsday. His friend will be eternalized through his verses as wars and forces of nature can’t affect it. He will outshine all others through his poems.

Rhymes are eternal, they can’t be destroyed. They are unaffected by wars and time. Monuments are destroyed with the passage of time and wars.

The poem begins with the poet, William Shakespeare, telling his friend that the princes, kings and rich men get their statues erected so that people should remember them even after their death. But the name of the poet’s friend will shine more brightly in the contents of this poem than the stone monuments which are left uncared for, and fade away with the passage of time.

The poet has compared time to a slut in these lines because time, like a slut, is never faithful to anyone. It keeps on changing and is never the same for a person.

Poetic Devices :

Alliteration : Not marble, nor the gilded shall shine

(a) they want to be remembered forever.

(b) Gold-plated.

(c) the poem is immortal.

(d) Immortalise his friend

(a) the gold-plated buildings of stone built in the memory of someone.

(b) The words of this powerful poem written in praise of his friend will outshine those monuments 

(c) ab, ab 

(d) William Shakespeare.

The poet pays tribute to friendship by writing a poem for his friend. The poem will be the living record’ of his friend’s memory. Neither death nor war will be able to destroy his memory. His friend’s praise will remain in the hearts of future generations. 

The poet has eternalized the subject of his attention by writing about him/her in his sonnet. According to the poet, stones and gilded monuments are affected by time but a poem lives forever. It cannot be destroyed by the forces of nature or war. It is a written record which will be read and remembered by the future generations thus, making it immortal.

According to the poet, the lover can live in the rhyme till the world comes to an end, i.e., the Judgement Day. He is very sure that poetic art is immortal and lives forever.

The poet says that rich men try to get their statues erected and have monuments made, so that they would be remembered even after their death but none of these survive the ravages of time and the men are forgotten.

Poetry will outlive mankind. It will not be ravaged by time. This poem will immortalize his friend. He will stay in the heard of lovers till doomsday.

Value Points : 

• everything comes to an end one day 

• what is most important is our relationship with our dear ones.

• the poet strengthens this idea that riches don't matter

• what is more valuable is his love for his friend.

Detailed Answer :

It is a well-known truth that materialistic things don’t really last. All signs of worldly power, glory and grandeur fade away with the passage of time. Kings and Princes get their monuments erected so as to be remembered by the future generations. But all gold-plated monuments, memorials and statues eventually fall into utter neglect, decay and deterioration. They all meet the dust as they fail to outlive the ravages of time. In stark contrast to this are our relationships. They are immortal. They don’t get destroyed by time. Rather they are strengthened with the passage of time. The poet is also of the opinion that riches don’t matter much in this world. What is more valuable is his love for his friend. Their love will live longer than any man-made monuments. Neither death nor war will be able to destroy his memory. Hence, it is our love and relationships which matter the most in this world. All other things come to an end one day.

The memory of the poets’ friend will forever be there in the minds of people even after his death. The future generations will admire his friend after reading this poem. They will remember him till doomsday. He will live in the minds of the people till the last day of the judgement.

Poetic Devices :

Alliteration : That wear this world

Rhyme Scheme of the Poem :

Stanza 1 : ab ab

Stanza 2 : ab ab

Stanza 3 : ab ab

Stanza 4 : aa

The poet further tells his friend that war, which is destructive and devastating, will destroy and overturn all the statues which have been erected by men. The fighting, disturbances etc. during the war will uproot the work done by masons, but neither Mars, the God of war nor the quick moving fire of war will be able to destroy the work of the poet i.e. the poem which he has written to immortalize his friend. It will be the written memory of his friend’s life which will continue even after his death.

Poetic Devices :

Alliteration : When wasteful war

Allusion : Mars, the God of war 

(a) the statues and monuments.

(b) the God of war.

(c) His poetry describing his love for his friend. 

(d) Not marble, nor the gilded monuments. 

The poem conveys the message that the great and noble souls leave an indelible impact on their fellow beings and are remembered for a long time. The poet feels that his poem will outlive the ravages of time. According to him, the marble and stone monuments fail to immortalize the rich and the powerful. He claims that his poem will live longer than any man-made monuments.

The creation of powerful rulers, i.e., statues and monuments are destroyed by time but the poet is more powerful than these rulers because time cannot destroy his creation, i.e., his poetry.

Value Points :

Monuments are not permanent, not eternal with the passage of time they crumble in the event of a war, gunshots demolish them.

Detailed Answer :

The monuments erected by kings and princes are not permanent or eternal. They get destroyed or are crumbled in the event of a war as gunshots demolish them. They are discoloured or broken by the passage of time. Both time and war demolish them and they are forgotten by people.

The poet is proud of creating art and literature. These are immortal whereas, the material achievements of man are temporary. The poet is known for his self-confidence and also for his contempt for arrogant rulers.