Class X: Not Marble, Nor Gilded Monuments

Sonnet 55: Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments

William Shakespeare

Concept Map:

About the poem:

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. ‘Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monument’ is Shakespeare’s one of the most famous sonnet. A sonnet is a fourteen line poem. This sonnet is also known as Sonnet 55 (Shakespeare’s sonnets are also known by their numbers). Here, Shakespeare is saying that the poem, he is writing to someone unnamed, will last longer than gravestones or monuments which royal people decorate with gold on the time of their departure (death). On the other hand, the unnamed individual mentioned in this poem will live longer in human memory because he is cherished in this poem. This turned out to be a truth because this poem is still being read after four hundred years, on the other hand, those marble gravestones; golden monuments have been overturned, uprooted or destroyed by wars.

About the poet:

William Shakespeare is one of the well known poets, playwright, and also known as ‘Bard At Avon’. He has written 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems and many other poems. His plays have been translated and performed in many languages and in many countries.

Summary of ‘Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments’

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 judgments 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 judgments.

Question and answers:

1.    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.

2.    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.

3.    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’.

4.    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’.

5.    The poet uses alliteration to heighten the musical quality of the sonnet. Note down the examples of alliteration in the poem.

Answer: Note the use of alliteration in the third line, with the two words "shall shine." This is something that is used in various places in this sonnet, for example in "wasteful war." Following are some of the instances of alliteration:

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme,
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone besmeared with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword, nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
 

6.    Identify Shakespeare's use of personification in the poem.

Personification is a figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or abilities. In this poem, personification is used when referencing the marble monuments' capacity to have life. 

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments

Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;

In addition, the poetry is given the ability to have power and life.  In the second quatrain, war is wasteful and granted the capability to overturn statues and ruin brick work. 

In the third quatrain, the poem is alive according to the poet.

Imagery:

But you shall shine more bright in these contents 
Than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time.

There is a powerful image in the way in which "time" is personified as a character who is "sluttish" and "besmears" the tombs around her with her mess. The description helps to build up a powerful contrast with the person this sonnet is addressed to, who will "shine" compared to the dull and dirty tombs that time sullies.

Nor Mars his sword, nor war's quick fire shall burn

The mythological allusion to Mars the Greek god of war serves to strengthen the image of time as a brutal entity. 

Extra Questions:

a)   How, according to the poet, will his beloved outlive monument and time?

According to the poet, his beloved, is captured in this sonnet, and therefore shall outlive the marble and golden monuments built by the princes, because the monument shall get spoiled by time.

b)   How does the poet immortalize his beloved?

The poet immortalizes his beloved by stating that his beloved shall live forever in this sonnet and in the eyes of future generations. Also, this poem will wear out this world till the judgment day and outlive it.

c)   What is the moral of the poem?

The moral of the poem is that literary art is not affected by time, though marble and gilded monuments are. They are ravaged by time it will have no effect on his beloved who is a living record in this sonnet. Time is shown as a great leveler and destroyer here.