RPO -- William Shakespeare : Shakespeare's Sonnets: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea

William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea
Sonnet 65

1Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea

2But sad mortality o'er-sways their pow'r,

3How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea

4Whose action is no stronger then a flow'r?

5O how shall summer's honey breath hold out

6Against the wrackful siege of batt'ring days

7When rocks impregnable are not so stout,

8Nor gates of steel so strong but time decays?

9O fearful meditation! where, alack,

10Shall time's best jewel from time's chest lie hid?

11Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back,

12Or who his spoil o'er beauty can forbid?

13 O none, unless this miracle have might,

14 That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

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Shakespeare's Sonnets: Tir'd with all these for restful death I cry

Notes

1] "Since (there is neither) brass, nor stone ... (but that) sad mortality does not o'ersway their power ..."

2] pow'r] power Q.

3] hold a plea] try a legal process or action at court.

4] action] working; the legal process to obtain a remedy. flow'r] flower Q.

6] wrackful] destructive.

12] o'er] or Q ("over").

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: SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (London: G. Eld for T. T. and sold by William Aspley, 1609): e2r-e2v.
First publication date: 1609
RPO poem editor: Ian Lancashire
RP edition: 2008
Recent editing: 1:2008/8/24

Form: sonnet
Rhyme: ababcdcdefefgg

Other poems by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (ca. 1564-1616)

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless seaSonnet 65

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea
Sonnet 65