SHAKESPEARE’s SONNETS

Metrical features06.05.09 Del Bello

GENERAL SONNETINFORMATION

The Sonnet

Derives from the Occitan (romance language of Southern France) word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song."

By the thirteenth century, “sonnet” had come to signify a poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines that follows a strict rhyme scheme and specific structure.

English (Shakespearean) Sonnet1. simplest and most flexible pattern of all

sonnets: 3 quatrains of alternating rhyme and a couplet:

2. a b a bc d c de f e fg g

3. each quatrain develops a specific idea, but one closely related to the ideas in the other quatrains.

4. most flexible in terms of the placement of the volta. Shakespeare often places the "turn," as in the Italian, at L9

Rhyme scheme

Petrarchan (Italian) rhyme scheme:abba, abba, cd, cd, cdabba, abba, cde, cde

Shakespearean (English, or Elizabethan) rhyme scheme:

abab, cdcd, efef, gg

Sonnet 18Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date:Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed,And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

ABABCDCDEFEFGG

A FEW NOTES ON METRE

PROSODY

The science of versification; that part of the study of language which deals with the forms of metrical composition;OED v. prosody

WHY METER? WHO CARES ABOUT METER?

3 objectives:

(1) increase your sensitivity to the formal properties of poetry (i.e. what sounds do)

(2) heighten your pleasure and illumination in reading poetry

(3) understand PROSODY (=features that have to do with how you read out verses)

How does meter work?How does it mean/create meaning?

• Ritualistic framing (metered language is different from ordinary language and thus “framed” as an artistic artifice)

• Departure from expected metrical norms. This creates an emotional effect or possibly estrangement. PROSODIC TENSION (between perfect or ideal metrical pattern and actual rhythm)

• Association or convention. Having been associated to a certain genre of poetry, a given meter may retain some of the meaning(s) associated to that poetry.

What does meter do?

• Focuses reader’s attention and refines awareness

• Induces hypnosis (meter in most accentual poetry is slightly faster than the normal heart beat exhilarating effect

• Has physiological or possibly sexual overtones.

IDEAS and METER

• In the moment of composition, one of the central concerns of the poet is arrangement of metric pattern to achieve some kind of musicality.

• Impulse toward order while allowing deviation

EASY SCANNING MARKERSYou can use | to divide feet in a line of

verse. Use capitals (maiuscole) to indicate STRESS and lower case (minuscole) to indicate UNSTRESSEDExample:

the PO|eTRY|of EARTH |is NE|ver DEAD|

What is a caesura?Caesura is a pause somewhere in the middle

of a verse. Some lines have strong (easily recognizable) caesurae, which usually coincide with punctuation in the line (; : etc) while others have weak ones. It's conventional to mark them with a double bar:||

England - how I long for thee!||

Examples of caesuras

A very strong central pause was very common in OLD ENGLISH VERSE:

Hwæt! we Gar-Dena || on geardagum("Lo! we Spear-Danes, in days of yore. . .")

What does a caesura do?It creates rhetorical emphasis, suspension, or a similar effect, depending on where it is placed:

Alexander Pope, for example, was able to keep his heroic couplets interesting by varying the position of the caesurae, as here:

Alas how changed! || What sudden horrors rise!A naked lover || bound and bleeding lies!Where, where was Eloise? || her voice, her hand,Her poniard, || had opposed the dire command.

BASIC FOOT= iamb (di DUM)Most English poetry is in iambics, with

common variations of metre (trochaic, spondaic, anapestic,) that are accepted as normal in iambic poetry

So some critics say that all we have in English are only TWO main types of METER:STRICT IAMBIC (no variations) or LOOSE IAMBIC (normal variations)

When a line is said to exhibit iambic feet, the other meters, including spondee and pyrrhic, can substitute for iambs without the abandonment of the foundational metrical pattern. In fact, Robert Frost said that English actually has only two meters, strict iambic and loose iambic. "Strict meter would avoid anapestic or dactylic substitutions, which add syllables to a line. More supple meter might use these substitutions for ease or greater naturalness" (Writing Poems, 4th ed., by Robert Wallace and Michelle Boisseau (Addison-Wesley Longman Publishers, New York, 1996, 70).

WARNINGKeep in mind that metrical

pattern is like a music score (the actual reading may differ, and place emphasis on a different syllable to achieve specific rhetorical effects)

Poetic Foot (or Beat) A poetic foot is a repeated sequence

of rhythm comprised of two or more stressed and/or unstressed syllables.

Poetic meter is comprised of poetic feet

So, here we go:

Iamb = di DUM (1 unstressed syllable + 1 stressed)

Trochee = DUM di (1 stressed + 1 unstressed)

Anapest = di di DUM (2 unstr. + 1str)

Dactyl = DUM di di (1 str. + 2 unstr.)

Spondee = DUM DUM (2 stressed)

Pyrrhic = di di (2 unstressed)

Iambic pattern1 unstressed syllable followed by 1

stressed syllableEXAMPLES:

repose (re-POSE)belief (be-LIEF)complete (com-PLETE)

The Iambic footThe iamb = (1 unstressed syllable + 1 stressed syllable) is

the most common poetic foot in English verse.

iambic foot examples:beholddestroythe sun (articles such as “the” would be

considered unstressed syllables)and watch (conjunctions such as and

would be considered unstressed syllables)

Trochaic Pattern1 stressed syllable followed by 1

unstressed syllableEXAMPLES:

garland (GAR-land)speaking (SPEAK-ing)value (VAL-ue)

Anapestic pattern

Dactylic pattern1 stressed syllable followed by 2

unstressed syllablesEXAMPLE:

happiness (HAP-pi-ness)galloping (GAL-lop-ing)fortunate, Saturday, daffodil,

murmuring, rhapsody

Spondaic PatternAll syllables have equal stressEXAMPLE:

Heartbreak “Out, out…”"pen-knife," "ad hoc," "heartburn"

Six Common “base” feet /beats in EnglishTechnical Name Examples Italian equivalent

1 IAMB; IAMBIC

Cŏntént (=happy)Děstróy

CarràPapà DI DUMEtà

2 ANAPEST;ANAPESTIC

ŏf thĕ béstIntervene

FedeltàDI DI DUM

3 TROCHEE;TROCHAIC

CóntĕntHighway

AncheDUM DI

4 DACTYL; DACTYLIC

Clássĭcăl via Latin from Greek daktulos, literally finger (the three bones of the finger corresponding to the three syllables).

MassimoTavolo DUM DI DI

5 SPONDEE;SPONDAIC

Híght tídeHum drum

Tuca Tuca DUM DUMQua QuaMamma Nanna

6 PYRRHIC The sea /sŏn ŏf /mists Ma in un giornoDI DI

Possible effects (? Tentative depends on context)Technical Name Examples Possible prosodic effect ?

(1) IAMB; IAMBIC

Cŏntént (=happy)Děstróy

Exhilaration (heartbeat +)Euphoria

(2) ANAPEST;ANAPESTIC

ŏf thĕ béstIntervene

Acceleration Pressure, UrgencyFinality

(3) TROCHEE;TROCHAIC

CóntĕntHighway

SuspensionApprehension

(4) DACTYL; DACTYLIC

Clássĭcăl OrderControl

(5) SPONDEE;SPONDAIC

Híght tídeHum drum

MysteryAwe Power Sacred quality /Military march

(6) PYRRHIC The sea /sŏn ŏf/mists

Quickening Acceleration

LINE LENGTHS

One Foot Monometer

Two Feet Dimeter

Three Feet Trimeter

Four Feet Tetrameter

Five Feet Pentameter (blank verse or heroic couplet)

Sex Feet Hexameter

Seven Feet Heptameter

Eight Feet Octameter

The most popular verse types in English

BLANK VERSE Unrhymed iambic pentameter (ten syllables or decasyllabic)

Of man’s first disobedience and the fruit AOf that forbidden tree whose mortal taste BBrought death into the world and all our woe C(Milton, PARADISE LOST)

HEROIC COUPLET

Rhymed iambic pentameter

When I consider everything that grows AHolds in perfection but a little moment BThat this huge stage presenteth nought but shows AWhereon the stars in secret influence comment B(Shakespeare, SONNETS)

RULES OF THUMB: WHAT YOUNEED TO REMEMBER

1) IDENTIFY SYLLABLESpoem = PO-em (1 stressed + 1 unstressed)

poetry = PO-e-try (1 stressed + 2 unstressed)

relief = re-LIEF (1 unstressed + 1 stressed)

recommend = re-com-MEND (2 unstressed + 1 stressed)

discomfort = dis-COM-fort (1 unstressed + 1 stressed + 1

unstressed)

entertainment = en-ter-TAIN-ment (2 unstressed + 1 stressed

+ 1 unstressed)

REMEMBER that

Basic meter is based on the fact that all syllables in English are either stressed (at one of several different levels) or unstressed.

In ordinary speech, we pay no attention to the patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables, so that no pat tern emerges--the "pattern" is random.

In metrical poetry, however, the poet takes syllables and arranges them so that the stresses that fall normally will occur in set patterns, as defined by the various feet (iamb, trochee, etc.).

Also REMEMBER that

Meter is not made up of syllables but beats per line

Now you can produce your SCANSION:

(1) the act of scanning, or analyzing poetry in terms of its rhythmic components

(2) the graphic representation, indicated by marked accents, feet, etc., of the rhythm of a line or lines of verse You may have seen scansion marks like the

following:The curved lines are “unstressed” syllables while the straight slashes are “stressed”

REMEMBER that

The basic meter in English is iambic pentameter, i. e., a line containing 5 iambs.

"When I do count the clock that tells the time“

| when I| do COUNT| the CLOCK| that TELLS| the TIME|| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb|

"When I have fears that I may cease to beBefore my pen has gleaned my teeming brain"| when I| have FEARS| that I| may CEASE| to BE|

| be FORE| my PEN| has GLEANED| my TEEM| ing BRAIN|| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb|| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb|

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS AND VARIATIONS

Certain substitutions are allowed which are not considered to disrupt the basic meter (iambic pentameter in this case), specifically the trochee and the spondee

"Thus is his cheek the map of days outworn"| THUS is| his CHEEK| the MAP| of DAYS| out WORN|| trochee| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb|

The first-foot trochee is the most common of all substitutions in iambic verse, although the trochee can be substituted in any foot (except possibly the last foot of a line).

"Keen, fitful gusts are whisp'ring here and there"| KEEN FIT| ful GUSTS| are WHIS| pring HERE| and THERE|| spondee| iamb| iamb| iamb| iamb|

The spondee can also be substituted anywhere within a line, including--unlike the trochee- the last foot.

The important thing is that, as a general rule of thumb, there should always be more iambs in the line than substituted feet; otherwise, the iambic rhythm will be lost.

DOUBLE IAMB

There is, in addition, one further substitution which may occur, the combination of a pyrrhic foot followed by a spondaic foot; this combination is called the "double iamb" and is counted the same as two regular iambs in a line:

EXAMPLES of DOUBLE IAMB

"I summon up remembrance of things past“

| i SUM| mon UP| re MEM| brance of| THINGS PAST|| iamb| iamb| iamb{| pyrrhic| spondee| = double iamb}

"When all the birds are faint with the hot sun"| when ALL| the BIRDS| are FAINT| with the| HOT SUN|| iamb| iamb| iamb {| pyrrhic| spondee| = double iamb}

"When to the sessions of sweet, silent thought"| WHEN to | the SES| sions of |SWEET SI| lent THOUGHT|| trochee| iamb {| pyrrhic| spondee|} iamb|Since the "pyrrhic"|"spondee" is counted as two regular iambs, there are still 4 iambic feet in this line, despite the trochaic substitution.

A SELECTION OF SONNETS

PLEASE NOTE:there is NO SINGLE 100% CORRECT SCAN OF A POEM. Different readers may come up with different scanpatterns, depending on the stress they decide to lay on specific words. Of course such variations are limited bysyntactical and morphological constraints. So a basicrecognizable pattern or score is usually always present(think of a music score and of variations musicians mayintroduce when they actually play music based on thosescores.

Problem beats are highlighted in RED and may involve one of the metrical beat forms listed before (trochaic, spondaic, dactylic, anapestic, double iam)

N.1

1 From fairest creatures we desire increase,from FAI | rest CREA| tures WE| de SIRE |in CREASE

A

2 That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,that THERE | by BEAU |ty’s ROSE |might NE |ver DIE

B

3 But as the riper should by time decease,but AS| the RI | per SHOULD| by TIME| de CEASE

A

4 His tender heir might bear his memory;his TEN| der HEIR| might BEAR| his ME| mor RY

B

5 But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,but THOU | con TRAC| ted TO| thine OWN| BRIGHT EYES

C

6 Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel,FEEDST thy | LIGHT’s FLAME| with SELF| sub STAN| tial FUEL

D

7 Making a famine where abundance lies,MAKing| a FA| mine WHERE| a BUN| dance LIES

C

8 Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.thy SELF| thy FOE| to THY |sweet SELF| so CRUEL

D

9 Thou, that art now the world’s fresh ornamentTHOU that |ART NOW |the WOR ld’s| FRESH or| na MENT

E

10 And only herald to the gaudy springand ON |ly HE| rald TO| the GAU| dy SPRING

F

11 Within thine own bud buriest thy content,wi THIN| thine OWN| bud BU| riest THY| con TENT

E

12 And, tender churl, mak’st waste in niggarding.and TEN| der CHURL| makst WASTE| in NI| gar DING

F

13 Pity the world, or else this glutton be, PI ty| the WORLD|, or ELSE| this GLU| ton BE

G

14 To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.to EAT |the WORLDS| DUE | by the GRAVE | and THEE

G

N. 12 R

1 When I do count the clock that tells the timewhen I | do COUNT|the CLOCK|that TELLS|the TIME

A

2 And the brave day sunk in hideous night;and THE | brave DAY | SUNK in |hideous NIGHT

B

3 When I behold the violet past prime,when I | beHOLD |the VIOLET|past PRIME

A

4 And sabled curls all silvered o’er with white;and SAB |led CURLS| all SILV|ered O’ER|with WHITE

B

5 When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,when LO|fty TREES| i SEE|BAR ren|of LEAVES

C

6 Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,which ERST|from HEAT|did CA|no PY|the HERD

D

7 And summer’s green, all girded up in sheaves,and SUM|mer’s GREEN|all GIR|ded UP|in SHEAVES

C

8 Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard;BORNE|on the BIER|with WHITE|and BRI|stly BEARD

D

9 Then of thy beauty do I question make,then OF|thy BEAU|ty DO|i QUEST|tion MAKE

E

10 That thou among the wastes of time must go,that THOU|a MONG|the WASTES|of TIME|must GO

F

11 Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,since SWEETS|and BEAU|ties DO|them SELVES|for SAKE

E

12 And die as fast as they see others grow;and DIE|as FAST|as THEY|see O|thers GROW

F

13 And nothing ‘gainst Times’s scythe can make defenceand NO|thing ‘GAINST|Time’s SCYTHE|can MAKE|de FENCE

G

14 Save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence. save BREED| to BRAVE|him WHEN|he TAKES|thee THENCE

G

N.551 Not marble nor the gilded monuments

not MAR|ble NOR|the GIL|ded MO|nu MENTSA

2 Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme,of PRIN|ces SHALL|out LIVE|this POWER|ful RHYME

B

3 But you shall shine more bright in these contentsbut YOU|shall SHINE|more BRIGHT|in THESE|con TENTS

a

4 That unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.than UN|swept STONE|be SMEARED|with SLU|ttish TIME

B

5 When wasteful war shall statues overturn,when WASTE|ful WAR|shall STA|tues O|ver TURN

C

6 And broils root out the work of masonry,and BROILS|root OUT|the WORK|of MA|son RY

D

7 Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn nor MARS|his SWORD|nor WAR’S|quick FIRE|shall BURN

C

8 The living record of your memory. the LI|ving RE|cord OF|your ME| mo RY

D

9 ‘Gainst death and all oblivious enmity‘gainst DEATH|and ALL|o BLI|vious EN|mi TY

E

10 Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find roomshall YOU|pace FORTH|your PRAISE|shall STILL|find ROOM

f

11 Even in the eyes of all posterityEVEN| in the EYES|of ALL|po STE|ri TY

e

12 That wear this world out to the ending doom.that WEAR|this WORLD|out TO|the EN|ding DOOM

f

13 So, till the judgement that yourself arise,so TILL|the JUDGE|ment THAT|your SELF|a RISE

g

14 You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyesyou LIVE|in THIS|and DWELL|in LO|vers’s EYES

g

N. 731 That time of year thou may’st in me behold,

that TIME|of YEAR|thou MAY’st|in ME|be HOLDA

2 When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hangwhen YE|low LEAVES|or NONE|or FEW|do HANG

B

3 Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,u PON|those BUOGHS|which SHAKE|a GAINST|the COLD

A

4 Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang.BARE ined | CHOIRS|where LATE|the SWEET|birds SANG

B

5 In me thou seest the twilight of such dayin ME | thou SEEST | the TWI |light OF| such DAY

C

6 As after sunset fadeth in the west,as AFTER | sun SET | FA deth| IN the | WEST

D

7 Which by and by black night doth take away,which BY | and BY| black NIGHT| doth TAKE| a WAY

C

8 Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.DEATH’S SE | cond SELF |that SEALS| upALL |in|REST

D

9 In me thou see’st the glowing of such firein ME | thou SEEST | the GLO |wing OF| such FIRE

E

10 That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, that ON | the ASH| es OF| his YOUTH| doth LIE

F

11 As the death-bed whereon it must expire,as the | DEATH BED| where ON| it MUST| ex PIRE

E

12 Consumed with that which it was nourished by. con SUMED| with THAT| which IT |was NOU| rished BY

F

13 This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong, THIS THOU | per CEIV’ST| which MAKES| thy LOVE| more STRONG

G

14 To love that well which thou must leave ere longto LOVE | that WELL | which THOU| must LEAVE| ere LONG

G

N. 106

1 When in the chronicle of wasted time when IN | the CHRO| ni CLE| of WAS| ted TIME

A

2 I see descriptions of the fairest wightsi SEE | de SCRI| ptions OF| the FAIR| est WIGHTS

B

3 And beauty making beautiful old rhymeand BEAU| ty MAK|ing BEAU| ti FUL| old RHYME

A

4 In praise of ladies dead and lovely knights;in PRAISE | of LA| dies DEAD| and LO| vely KNIGHTS

B

5 Then, in the blazon of sweet beauty’s best, then IN| the BLA| zon OF| sweet BEAU| ty’s BEST

C

6 Of hand, of foot, of lip, of eye, of brow,of HAND | of FOOT| of LIP | of EYE | of BROW

D

7 I see their antique pen would have expressedi SEE| their AN| tique PEN| would HAVE| ex PRESSED

C

8 Even such a beauty as you master now.Even SUCH |a BEAU | ty AS| you MAS| ter NOW

D

9 So all their praises are but propheciesso ALL | their PRAI | ses ARE| but PRO| phe CIES

E

10 Of this our time, all you prefiguring,of THIS| our TIME| all YOU| pre FI |gu RING

F

11 And for they looked but with divining eyesand FOR | they LOOKED| but WITH| di VI| ning EYES

E

12 They had not still enough your worth to sing;they HAD| not STILL| e NOUGH| your WORTH| to SING

F

13 For we, which now behold these present days,for WE| which NOW| be HOLD| these PRE| sent DAYS

G

14 Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise. have EYES| to WON| der BUT| lack TONGUES| to PRAISE

G

N.1121 Let me not to the marriage of true minds

LET me | NOT to |the MAR| riage oF| true MINDS

A

2 Admit impediments; love is not love ad MIT| im PE| di MENTS| LOVE is | NOT LOVE

B

3 Which alters when it alteration finds,which AL| ters WHEN| it AL | tera TION|FINDS

A

4 Or bends with the remover to remove.or BENDS| with THE| re MO| ver TO| re MOVE

B

5 O no, it is an ever- fixèd marko NO| it IS| an E| ver FI| xed MARK

C

6 That looks on tempests and is never shaken; that LOOKS| on TEM| pest AND| is NE| ver SHAKEN

D

7 It is the star to every wandering bark,it IS| the STAR| to E| very WAN| dering BARK

C

8 Whose worth’s unknown although his height be taken.whose WORTH’S| un KNOWN| al THOUGH| his HEIGHT| be TAKEN

D

9 Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheekslove’s NOT| time’s FOOL| though RO| sy LIPS| and CHEEKS

E

10 Within his bending sickle’s compass come;wi THIN| his BEN| ding SI| ckle COM| pass COME

F

11 Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,love AL| ters NOT| with HIS| brief HOURS| and WEEKS

E

12 But bears it out even to the edge of doom.but BEARS| it OUT| even TO| the EDGE| of DOOM

F

13 If this be error and upon me proved,if THIS| be ER| ror AND| u PON | me PROVED

G

14 I never writ, nor no man ever loved.i NE| ver WRIT| nor NO| man E| ver LOVED

G

N. 61 Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface

then LET| not WIN| ter RA| ged HAND | de FACEA

2 In thee thy summer ere thou be distilled:in THEE| thy SU| mer ERE| thou BE| di STILLED

B

3 Make sweet some vial, treasure thou some placemake SWEET| some VI| al TREA| sure THOU| some PLACE

A

4 With beauty’s treasure ere it be self-killed.with BEAU| ty’s TREA| sure ERE| it BE| self KILLED

B

5 That use is not forbidden usurythat USE| is NOT| for BID| den U| su RY

C

6 Which happies those that pay the willing loan;which HA| pies THOSE| that PAY| the WI| ling LOAN

D

7 That’s for thyself to breed another thee,that’s FOR| thy SELF| to BREED| a NO|ther THEE

C

N.68 Or ten times happier be it ten for one :

or TEN| times HA| pier BE| it TEN| for ONED

9 Ten times thyself were happier than thou art,ten TIMES| thy SELF| were HA|pier THAN| thou ART

E

10 If ten of thine ten times refigured thee;if TEN| of THINE| ten TIMES| re FI| gured THEE

F

11 Then what could death do if thou shouldst depart,then WHAT| coudl DEATH| do IF| thou SHOULDST| de PART

E

12 Leaving thee living in posterity?LEAV ing| THEE LI|| ving IN| po STE| ri TY

F

13 Be not self-willed, for thou art much too fairbe NOT| self WILLED| for THOU| art MUCH| too FAIR

G

14 To be death’s conquest and make worms thine heir.to BE| death’s CON| quest AND| make WORMS| thine HEIR

G

N. 12

1 When I do count the clock that tells the timewhen I | do COUNT|the CLOCK|that TELLS|the TIME

A

2 And the brave day sunk in hideous night;and THE | brave DAY | SUNK in |hideous NIGHT

B

3 When I behold the violet past prime,when I | beHOLD |the VIOLET|past PRIME

A

4 And sabled curls all silvered o’er with white;and SAB |led CURLS| all SILV|ered O’ER|with WHITE

B

5 When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,when LO|fty TREES| i SEE|BAR ren|of LEAVES

C

6 Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,which ERST|from HEAT|did CA|no PY|the HERD

D

7 And summer’s green, all girded up in sheaves,and SUM|mer’s GREEN|all GIR|ded UP|in SHEAVES

C

N. 128 Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard;

BORNE|on the BIER|with WHITE|and BRI|stly BEARDD

9 Then of thy beauty do I question make,then OF|thy BEAU|ty DO|i QUEST|tion MAKE

E

10 That thou among the wastes of time must go,that THOU|a MONG|the WASTES|of TIME|must GO

F

11 Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,since SWEETS|and BEAU|ties DO|them SELVES|for SAKE

E

12 And die as fast as they see others grow;and DIE|as FAST|as THEY|see O|thers GROW

F

13 And nothing ‘gainst Times’s scythe can make defenceand NO|thing ‘GAINST|Time’s SCYTHE|can MAKE|de FENCE

G

14 Save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence. save BREED|to BRAVE|him WHEN|he TAKES|thee THENCE

G

N. 151 When I consider everything that grows

when I| con SI| der E| very THING| that GROWSA

2 Holds in perfection but a little moment,HOLDS in| per FE| ction BUT| a LI| tle MOMENT

B

3 That this huge stage presenteh naught but showsthat THIS| huge STAGE| pre SEN| teth NAUGHT| but SHOWS

A

4 Whereon the stars in secret influence comment; where ON| the STARS| in SE| cret IN| fluence COMMENT

B

5 When I perceive that men as plants increase,when I| per CEIVE| that MEN| as PLANTS| in CREASE

C

6 Cheerèd and checked even by the selfsame sky,CHEERED and | CHECKED E| ven BY| the SELF| same SKY

D

7 Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,VAUNT| in THERI YOUTH| ful SAP| at HEIGHT| de CREASE

C

N. 15

8 And wear their brave state out of memory; and WEAR| their BRAVE |STATE OUT| of ME| mo RY

D

9 Then the conceit of this inconstant stayTHEN the | con CEIT| of THIS| in CON| stant STAY

E

10 Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,sets YOU| most RICH| in YOUTH| be FORE| my SIGHT

F

11 Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,where WASTE| ful TIME| de BA| teth WITH| de CAY

E

12 To change your day of youth to sullied night;to CHANGE| your DAY| of YOUTH| to SU| lied NIGHT

F

13 And all in war with Time for love of you,and ALL| in WAR| with TIME| for LOVE| of YOU

G

14 As he takes from you I engraft you new. as HE| TAKES from| YOU I | en GRAFT | you NEW

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N. 181 Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?

shall I| com PARE| thee TO| a SUM| mer’s DAYA

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate:thou ART| more LO|vely AND| more TEM| per RATE

B

3 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,rough WINDS| do SHAKE| the DAR| ling BUDS| of MAY

A

4 And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;and SU| mer’s LESE| hath ALL| too SHORT| a DATE

B

5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,some TIME| too HOT| the EYE| of HEA| ven SHINES

C

6 And often is his gold complexion dimmed;and OF| ten IS| his GOLD| com PLE| xion DIMMED

D

7 And every fair from fair sometimes declines,and EV| ery FAIR| from FAIR| some TIMES| de CLINES

C

N. 188 By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed.

by CHANCE | or NA| ture’s CHAN| ging COURSE| un TRIMMED

D

9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade,but THY| ex TER| nal SU| mer SHALL| not FADE

E

10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou owe’st,nor LOSE| po SSE| sion OF| that FAIR| thou OWEST

F

11 Nor shall Death brag thou wand’erest in his shade,nor SHALL| death BRAG| thou WAND| erest IN| his SHADE

E

12 When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st. when IN| et ER| nal LINES| to TIME| thou GROW’st

F

13 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so LONG| as MEN| can BREATHE| or EYES| can SEE

G

14 So long lives this, and this gives life to theeso LONG | lives THIS| and THIS| gives LIFE| to THEE

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N. 1231 No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change!

no TIME| thou SHALT| not BOAST| that I | do CHANGEA

2 Thy pyramids built up with newer mightthy PY| ra MIDS| built UP| with NE| wer MIGHT

B

3 To me are nothing novel, nothing strange;to ME| are NO| thing NO| vel NO| thing STRANGE

A

4 They are but dressings of a former sight.they ARE| but DRE| ssings OF| a FOR|mer SIGHT

B

5 Our dates are brief, and therefore we admireour DATES| are BRIEF| and THERE| fore WE| ad MIRE

C

6 What thou doth foist upon us that is old,what THOU| doth FOIST| u PON| us THAT| is OLD

D

7 And rather make them born to our desireand RA|ther MAKE| them BORN| to OUR| de SIRE

C

N. 1238 Than think that we before have heard them told.

than THINK| that WE| be FORE| have HEARD| them TOLDD

9 Thy registers and thee I both defy,thy RE| gi STERS| and THEE| i BOTH| de FY

E

10 Not wondering at the present nor the past; not WON| dering AT| the PRE| sent NOR| the PAST

F

11 For thy records and what we see doth lie, for THY| re CORDS| and WHAT| we SEE| doth LIE

E

12 Made more or less by thy continual haste.mad MORE| or LESS| by THY| con TI| nual HASTE

F

13 This I do vow, and this shall ever be:THIS i | DO VOW| and THIS| shall E| ver BE

G

14 I will be true despite thy scythe and thee.i WILL| be TRUE| de SPITE| thy SCYHE| and THEE

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N. 531 What is your substance, whereof are you made,

What IS| your SUB| stance WHERE| of YOU| are MADEA

2 That millions of strange shadows on you tend?that MI| llions OF| strange SHA| dows ON| you TEND

B

3 Since everyone hath, every one, one shade,since E|very ONE| hath E| very ONE| one SHADE

A

4 And you, but one, can every shadow lend.and YOU | but ONE| can E| very SHA| dow LEND

B

5 Describe Adonis, and the counterfeitde SCRIBE| a DO| nis AND| the COUN| ter FEIT

C

6 Is poorly imitated after you;is POOR| ly I| mi TA|ted AF| ter YOU

D

7 On Helen’s cheek all art of beauty set,on HE| len’s CHEECK| all ART of BEAU| ty SET

C

N. 538 And you in Grecian tires are painted new.

and YOU| in GRE| cian TIRES| are PAIN| ted NEWD

9 Speak of the spring and foison of the year; SPEAK of | the SPRING| and FOI| son OF| the YEAR

E

10 the one doth shadow of your beauty show;the ONE| doth SHA| dow OF| your BEAU| ty SHOW

F

11 The other as your bounty doth appear;the OT| ther AS | your BOU| nty DOTH| a PEAR

E

12 And you in every blessed shape we know.And YOU| in E| very BLE| ssed SHAPE| we KNOW

F

13 In all external grace you have some part,in ALL| ex TER| nal GRACE | you HAVE| some PART

G

14 But you like none, none you, for constant heart.But YOU| like NONE| none YOU| for CON| stant HEART

G

N. 1121 Your love and pity doth th’impression fill

your LOVE| and PI| ty DOTH| the IMPRE| ssion FILLA

2 Which vulgar scandal stamped upon my brow,which VUL| gar SCAN| dal STAMPED| u PN| my BROW

B

3 For what care I who calls me well or ill,for WHAT| care I| who CALLS| me WELL| or ILL

A

4 So you o’er-green my bad, my good allow?so YOU| o’er GREEN| my BAD| my GOOD| a LOW

B

5 You are my all the world, and I must striveyou ARE| my ALL| the WORLD| and I| must STRIVE

C

6 To know my shames and praises from your tongue,to KNOW| my SHAMES| and PRAI| ses FROM| your TONGUE

D

7 None else to me, nor I to none alive,none ELSE| to ME| nor I| to NONE| a LIVE

C

N. 1128 That my steeled sense or changes right or wrong.

that MY| steeled SENSE| or CHAN| ges RIGHT| or WRONGD

9 In so profound abysm I throw all carein SO| pro FOUND| a BSYM| i THROW| all CARE

E

10 Of others’ voices, that my adder’ senseof O| thers VOI| ces THAT | myAD | der SENSE

F

11 To critic and to flatterer stopped are.to CRI| tic AND| to FLA| te RER| stopped ARE

E

12 Mark how with my neglect I do dispense:mark HOW| with MY| ne GLECT| i DO| di SPENSE

F

13 You are so strongly in my purpose bredyou ARE| so STRON|gly IN | my PUR| pose BRED

G

14 That all the world besides methinks they’re dead.that ALL| the WORLD| be SIDES| me THINKS| they’re

G