‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’
Summary of ‘Not Marble, nor the
Gilded Monuments’
This poem is the 55th sonnet of the 154 sonnets
written by William Shakespeare. Written in blank verses, the poem is about the
futility of monuments and statues built by the kings and the powerful.
Absolutely confident of his writing skills, the poet claims
that his poetry would outline the ornate marbles, statues and gold-plated
monuments built by the rich and the powerful. As a result, the name of his
friend, who is referred to in his verses, would live for a much longer time
than the monuments that would stand neglected and tarnished with the passage of
treacherous time.
The destructive wars would leave no trace of the statues and
the devastation caused by them would bring all the magnificent monuments to the
ground. However, neither wars not their devastation would wipe out the memory
of the ones praised in this poem.
Neither death nor the enemies’ hatred would absolutely
affect their reputation and they would continue to be praised by the
generations to come till the last judgement day.
The poet wishes this praiseworthy soul to live in his poetry
and in the hearts of his admires till he finally rises from his grave, like all
the other souls and is rewarded by God on the day of judgement.
Question and answers:
Why do you think the rich and the
powerful people get their statues and monuments erected in their memory?
Answer:
The rich and the powerful get monuments and statues carved
on the one hand to make an ostentatious display of their wealth and on the
other hand, to immortalize themselves so that the future generations know and
remember them. However, the monuments and the statues fail to fulfill their
wish.
Describe how monuments and statues brave
the ravages of time.
Answer:
The statues and the monuments which the rich and the
powerful get erected in their memory brave the ravages of time. Initially, they
stand neglected and face the evil practices adopted by the future generations.
Later, they are tarnished by the destructive wars. In short, they face the
difficult and cruel times and thus, brave the ravages of wars and conflicts.
Why does the poetry refer to time as
being ‘sluttish’?
Answer:
Time has been personified here as a slut which means being
disloyal and untrustworthy. The poet calls time sluttish as it is not loyal to
anyone. Just as a slut, loses its charm and beauty with time, the princes and
the powerful, who enjoyed great privileges and popularity at one time get lost
and forgotten with the passage of time. The ornate monuments and statues that
they get erected to perpetuate their names even after their death stand neglected
after some time and eventually, they are tarnished by wars. Hence, time
displays its disloyalty towards once all powerful kings. The minds and the
morals of the people change with the changing times. Wasteful wars, conflicts,
etc dominate the cultural changes of the times. Unfortunately, the practices
and behavior of the people get sluttish and unclean with the change in their
time. Thus, the poet refers time as ‘sluttish’.
The poet says that neither forces of
nature nor wars can destroy his poetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will
not have a devastating effect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is
revealed through these lines?
Answer:
Forces of nature or wars can destroy human beings, animals,
cities, and even monuments. The power of the God of war, Mars, has a
devastating effect on everything that is mortal. However, poetry and the great
creations of the poet are immune to such forces of nature. The sonnet written
by the poet in praise of his friend will survive all these natural forces, wars
and the ravages of time. Even the godly power of Mars can’t diminish the shine
and glory of his rhyme. The poem will survive all these and be remembered till
posterity.
Sure of his verses not being destroyed by forces of nature,
wars and the unmatchable power of God, the poet reveals his self-confidence,
optimism and his immense faith in the power of his poetry. He conveys that ‘Pen
is mightier than the sword’.
