Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments Summary

CBSE Notes for Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments Summary - Chapter 9

Sonnet 55 builds upon Horace’s theme of poetry outlasting physical monuments to the dead. In Horace’s poetry, the poet is himself immortalized by his poetry but in this sonnet, Shakespeare seeks to build a figurative monument to his beloved, the fair lord. The fair lord is not described or revealed in any way in this sonnet. Instead, the sonnet just addresses the idea of immortality through verse. The ravage of time is a recurrent theme in the sonnets of Shakespeare. So sonnet 55 is one of the most famous works of Shakespeare and a notable deviation from other sonnets in which he appears insecure about his relationships and his self-worth. Here we find an impassioned burst of confidence as the poet claims to have the power to keep his friend’s memory alive evermore. Please refer Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments Summary for more revision notes.