William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare

• Sonnet 60

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Sonnet 60

• a Like as the waves make towards the pebbled
  shore,b So do our minutes hasten to their
  enda Each changing place with that which goes
  before,b In sequent toil all forwards do
  contend.c Nativity, once in the main of
  light,d Crawls to maturity, wherewith being
  crowned,c Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory
  fight,d And Time that gave doth now his gift
  confound.e Time doth transfix the flourish set
  on youthf And delves the parallels in beauty's
  brow,e Feeds on the rarities of nature's
  truth,f And nothing stands but for his scythe
  to mowg And yet to times in hope, my verse
  shall standg Praising thy worth, despite his
  cruel hand.

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Problem/Solution Pattern

• The problem is that time passes relentlessly,
  human life is short, and time is the destroyer of
  human life.
• The solution is that despite Times cruel hand,
  the poets verse will live on and continue to
  praise the youths worth. The poem will
  immortalise the youth and allow his beauty to
  live forever, regardless of the passage of time.

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Quatrain 1

• Quatrain 1 is about the passage of time and uses
  the tide as a metaphor. Just as waves cycle
  forward and replace one another on the beach, so
  do minutes struggle forward in sequent toil.

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Quatrain 2

• Quatrain 2 is about the passage of human life and
  uses the sun during the span of a day as a
  metaphor
• The sun crawls forward out of the sea
• The sun is crowned with maturity in the sky
• The sun is darkened by the crooked eclipses of age

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Quatrain 3

• Quatrain 3 is about time as a ravaging monster
  responsible for the ravages in human life.

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Line I

• Like as the waves make towards the pebbled
  shore,
• Analysis Like the way in which the waves move
  towards the pebbled shore

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Line II

• So do our minutes hasten to their end
• Analysis The imagery is of the disappearance and
  dissipation of each wave as it beats on the
  shore. The waves are a simile of human life in
  that human life has an ending. The individual
  waves mimic the disappearance of the minutes
  (of human life).

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Line III

• Each changing place with that which goes
  before,
• Analysis Waves appear to change place with each
  other. As one rolls away, another takes its
  place.

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Line IV

• In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
• Analysis In sequent toil suggests labour in a
  regular sequence, and perhaps the harshness of
  lifes journey. The waves march forward to
  contend, or fight, as lines of troops do in a
  battle.

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Line V

• Nativity, once in the main of light,
• Analysis A human life is compared to the sun.
  Nativity means birth so a new born child is
  implied. The main refers to the sea, and being
  in the main implies being in the open sea. In
  the main of light is therefore in the open sea of
  light, where the light of the sun is most bright.

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Line VI

• Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crowned,
• Analysis The youth crawls upward toward noon
  (the crown of maturity). The sun is the
  hottest and brightest at noon.

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Line VII

• Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
• Analysis The life is suddenly undone by crooked
  eclipses, which fight against the suns glory.
  Eclipses were considered dangerous events that
  brought bad luck. An eclipse is also the
  struggle of darkness against light, where the
  darkness fights against the glory of the sun, but
  figuratively against the glory of youth.

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Line VIII

• And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
• Analysis Times gift is life itself , but Time
  will inevitably destroy life.

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Line IX

• Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
• Analysis Time is the enemy that cuts down and
  destroys all things that are beautiful. Time
  destroys the glory of youth.

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Line X

• And delves the parallels in beautys brow,
• Analysis Delves the parallels means digs the
  furrows. Parallels were defensive ditches used
  in warfare. These lines (parallels) are compared
  to the wrinkles which line the forehead as
  beauty grows older.

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Line XI

• Feeds on the rarities of natures truth,
• Analysis Time is a monster that feeds on
  natures beauty.

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Line XII

• And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow
• Analysis Nothing exists that Times scythe
  cannot destroy. Time and Death were portrayed
  carrying a scythe.

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Line XIII

• And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand
• Analysis My verse, as a beacon of hope, will
  stand against time, both now, and in the future.

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Line XIV

• Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.
• Analysis The poet will use art to praise the
  beauty of the youth, despite Times cruel hand.
  Line 14 is the only direct reference to the youth.

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Poetic Devices

• Simile Like as the waves make towards the
  pebbled shore, / So do our minutes hasten to
  their end (1-2).
• Personification Crawls to maturity (6).
• Alliteration Crawls to maturity, wherewith
  being crownd, / Crooked (6-7).
• Personification His gift (8).
• Personification Beautys brow (10).
• Personification Time feeds (11).
• Personification His cruel hand (14).