SONNET 104

To me, fair friend, you never can be old – William Shakespeare To me, fair friend, you never can be old, a For as you were, when first your eye I ey'd, b Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold a Have from the forests shook three summers' pride, b

Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn'd c In process of the seasons have I seen, d Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burn’d, c Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green. d

Ah! yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand e Steal from his figure and no pace perceiv'd; f So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand, e Hath motion and mine eye may be deceiv'd: f

For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred; g Ere you were born, was beauty's summer dead. g Vocabulary Age unbred = generation still to be born ere = before Eyed = saw Beauteous = beautiful Dial-hand = referring to the face of a clock/time Steal = move slowly/unnoticed Perceived = known, noticed Hue = colour/complexion/shade Methinks = I think Does real beauty outlast outward appearance? Can real beauty truly last forever? Stanza 1 translated

1. To me, fair friend, you never To me, my friend, you can never be old, can be old, 2. For as you were when first For as you were when we first saw each other, your eye I eyed, 3. Such seems your beauty still. Such is your beauty still. Three cold winters Three winters cold

4. Have from the forests shook Have shaken the splendour of three summers three summers' pride, from the foliage, 5. Three beauteous springs to yellow Three wonderful springs have I seen turn to autumn turn'd autumn

6. In process of the seasons have I seen, In the course of the four seasons,

7. Three April perfumes in three hot Junes The perfumed scents of three Aprils burned burn'd, up in three hot Junes,

8. Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are Since first I saw you in all your youthful glory, green. and you are still young.

Stanza 2 translated 9. Ah! yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand, Ah! but beauty still moves forward, like the hands of a clock, 10. Steal from his figure and no pace Steal forward, with no motion to be observed. perceived;

11. So your sweet hue, which methinks still In this way your appearance, which seem to doth stand, me unchanged,

12. Hath motion and mine eye may be Is subject to Time's movement, and my eye deceived: may be deceived:

Stanza 3 translated Stanza 4 translated (The rhyming couplet)

13. For fear of which, hear this, Out of my fear that you will lose your thou age unbred; looks, hear this, you unborn generations;

14. Ere you were born was Before you came into existence beauty's summer dead. beauty was already dead. What is this poem about?

• The theme of Sonnet 104 is the ravages of Time. • The poet uses his fond memories of first meeting his lover as inspiration to write the poem. • It is clear from Sonnet 104 that the passion he/the poet/Shakespeare feels for his male lover/close friend(?) is the most intense experience of the poet's life. • Nothing is important (everything in life is fleeting) but his lover; his lover is eternal, both in beauty and spirit. Corrupt- First set eyes on ed by Assonance lines and 1. To me, fair friend, you never can be old, wrinkles Seasons = Pun 2. For as you were when first your eye I eyed, passage of time 3. Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold Personifica tion 4. Have from the forests shook three summers’ pride,

5. Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn’d

Warning: Appearance will not remain untouched by time Metaphor = Time

6. In process of the seasons have I seen, Wilted flowers Flowers 7. Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burn’d,

8. Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green. Younger Simile = Time 9. Ah! yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand, Personif ication 10. Steal from his figure and no pace perceived; Facial appearance

11. So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand, Perception

12. Hath motion and mine eye may be deceived “beauty is in the eye Aging of the beholder 13. For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred; Fact Unborn 14. Ere you were born was beauty’s summer dead.

Never experience true beauty STRUCTURE & THEME

• Type: Shakespearian Sonnet • 14 lines • 3 quatrains + a couplet • Rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg • Iambic pentameter