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William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore
Sonnet 60


              1Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
              2So do our minutes hasten to their end,
              3Each changing place with that which goes before,
              4In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
              5Nativity, once in the main of light,
              6Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
              7Crookèd eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
              8And time that gave doth now his gift confound.
              9Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
            10And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
            11Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
            12And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.
            13    And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand
            14    Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.

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Notes

1] towards] apparently monosyllabic. pebbled] pibled Q. Lines 1-4 are sometimes thought to imitate Ovid's Metamorphoses, XV: 180-84.

2] minutes] Sonnet no. 60 refers here to a quantity of time measured in 60s.

4] sequent] successive. contend] fight.

5] main] broad expanse (like the sea).

7] Crookèd] deformed.

9] transfix] impale. flourish] bloom.

11] of nature's truth] created by nature when it is most faithful to itself.

13] times in hope] hoped-for, future times.

Online text copyright © 2012, Ian Lancashire (the Department of English) and the University of Toronto.
Published by the Web Development Group, Information Technology Services, University of Toronto Libraries.

Original text:
First publication date: 1609
Publication date note: SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): e1r-e1v.
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2008
Recent editing: 1:2008/8/24

Form: sonnet
Rhyme: ababcdcdefefgg

Other poems by William Shakespeare

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