“Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 123 by William Shakespeare first appeared in the 1609 Quarto collection of the Bard’s sonnets. This poem stands out for its bold defiance of time and the inevitability of change. The speaker rejects the notion that time has power over them. They see its monuments as recycled novelties rather than testaments to progress. There is a subtle contempt for the way time makes us value things simply for being old. The speaker asserts the supremacy of their own perspective over time’s records, concluding with a vow of eternal constancy in the face of time’s destructive forces.

Annotations of “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

Line	Annotation
No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change:	Direct challenge to the concept of Time having the power to change the speaker’s inner constancy.
Thy pyramids built up with newer might	Reference to the monuments of history, suggesting even the grandest feats will pass. ‘Newer might’ may imply a cynicism towards progress.
To me are nothing novel, nothing strange;	The speaker sees no newness or worth in the passage of time, only rehashed concepts.
They are but dressings of a former sight.	Time’s works are mere variations of what has come before, not true novelty.
Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire	Human lifespan is short, making people susceptible to overvaluing the ‘old’.
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,	Time is accused of misleading, making us value things simply because of their age.
And rather make them born to our desire	Desire shapes our perception. We prefer to think of ‘old’ things as new to suit our needs.
Than think that we before have heard them told.	Denial of history; we want to feel we’re experiencing things for the first time.
Thy registers and thee I both defy,	Rejection of Time’s records and Time itself as a force.
Not wondering at the present nor the past;	The speaker’s focus is beyond the sway of linear time. The present and past are equally unimportant.
For thy records and what we see doth lie,	Time’s records and apparent reality are seen as false/inaccurate.
Made more or less by thy continual haste.	Time distorts perception, rushing some things and dragging out others.
This I do vow, and this shall ever be:	Introduction of a vow as a promise outside of time.
I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee.	The speaker vows constancy and loyalty, defying Time’s destructive powers symbolized by the scythe.

Literary and Poetic Devices in “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

Functions of Literary Devices in “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

1. Challenging Conventional Notions of Time: Shakespeare liberally uses personification and metaphor to transform Time into an antagonist, one the speaker actively defies. Time is portrayed as boastful, deceptive, and destructive. This reframing rejects the idea of Time as a passive force we’re subject to. Instead, it highlights individual agency to resist the feeling of helplessness in the face of aging and impermanence.
2. Emphasizing the Cyclical Nature of Existence: The poem’s focus on “pyramids” and the repeated phrase “nothing novel, nothing strange” highlights how time disguises the lack of true innovation. This aligns with the idea that human history is a series of variations on recurring themes rather than true progress. Devices like paradox (“Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire”) underscore how our yearning for the ‘new’ is driven by our knowledge of mortality, not some inherent value in the ‘old’.
3. Asserting the Power of Love and Constancy: The use of a vow, imagery of the scythe, and the Shakespearean sonnet structure itself, contribute to this function. The volta (or turn) at “Thy registers and thee I both defy” shifts from philosophical musings to defiance. The vow in the final couplet declares the speaker’s love as an eternal force resisting Time. The very form of the sonnet, with its predictable structure, acts as a kind of defiance – a demonstration that even within the constraints of time, love can find expression and enduring power.

Themes in “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

1. The Illusion of Time and Change: Shakespeare questions the perception of constant change and progress. He sees grand feats touted as groundbreaking (“Thy pyramids built up with newer might”) as ultimately derivative, merely rehashed ideas (“nothing novel, nothing strange”). The speaker suggests we prefer to think of recycled concepts as new creations (“born to our desire”) to avoid acknowledging the repetition of history.
2. Defiance of Time and Mortality: The speaker takes a defiant stance against Time, refusing to acknowledge its power of change over their internal being (“No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change”). They challenge Time’s records as inaccurate (“Thy registers and thee I both defy”) and vow to defy Time’s destructive nature (“despite thy scythe and thee”).
3. The Power of Love to Transcend Time: The speaker’s concluding vow (“This I do vow, and this shall ever be: / I will be true…”) positions love as a force superior to the passage of time. Their steadfastness, their assertion of enduring love, is a form of rebellion against time’s ability to erode and destroy.
4. The Human Need for Novelty and the Cyclical Nature of History: The sonnet implies that our short lifespans make us crave and misinterpret the ‘old’ as ‘new’ (“Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire / What thou dost foist upon us that is old”). This highlights how time distorts our perspective. The speaker implies human history is cyclical, that empires rise and fall, and grand ideas become merely “dressings of a former sight”.

Literary Theories and “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

Literary Theory	Approach to “Sonnet 123” with References
Formalism	Focus on: iambic pentameter’s regularity mirroring defiance of time’s chaos; the volta’s shift from contemplation to resolution; symbolism of the scythe. Lines like “Thy registers and thee I both defy” show how meter emphasizes key ideas.
New Historicism	Examine anxieties about posterity in an age of shifting power structures; how “pyramids” might reflect concern with legacy; whether the vow is for a patron or a lover, and what that says about power.
Psychoanalytic	Explore unconscious fear of death in defiance of time (“No, Time…”), suppressed desires in valuing the old as new (“And rather make them born to our desire”); analyze language of rebellion for potential internal conflicts.
Feminist	Question if the speaker is male/female, how this shapes vows and defiance. Analyze if defying time is an act of control in a patriarchal society. Does focus on enduring love subvert or reinforce gender expectations?
Reader-Response	Focus on the individual reader’s experience and how it shapes meaning. Do we side with the speaker or find their defiance futile? Does our age influence how we read “Our dates are brief…”?
Deconstruction	Question if the poem truly transcends time, or is bound by form and language (which evolve over time). Can the speaker defy change while using a form associated with the past? Does the vow create meaning or highlight its impossibility?

Topics, Essay Questions and Thesis Statements about “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

·  The Illusion of Progress and Change in “Sonnet 123”

• Essay Question: How does Shakespeare use literary devices to challenge the notion of progress and linear time in “Sonnet 123”?
• Thesis Statement: In “Sonnet 123,” Shakespeare employs metaphors, personification, and a cyclical view of history to expose the illusion of progress, suggesting that time operates in a repetitive rather than transformative manner.

·  Defying Mortality: Time and Love in “Sonnet 123”

• Essay Question: Analyze how the speaker in “Sonnet 123” attempts to defy the destructive power of Time through a vow of enduring love.
• Thesis Statement: “Sonnet 123” showcases a defiant struggle against mortality, where the speaker attempts to use love as a weapon against the ephemerality of life and the inevitability of Time’s destructive force.

·  Sonnet 123 and the Elizabethan Context

• Essay Question: Discuss how Elizabethan anxieties about legacy, power, and mortality are reflected in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 123”.
• Thesis Statement: “Sonnet 123” echoes the Elizabethan preoccupation with the fleeting nature of earthly power and the individual’s desire to leave a lasting mark on the world, in defiance of time’s passage.

·  Gender Dynamics and Defiance in “Sonnet 123”

• Essay Question: Analyze the power dynamics and potential gender implications explored in “Sonnet 123,” in the context of defiance against Time.
• Thesis Statement: Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 123” can be read through a feminist lens, revealing the complex interplay between gender roles, societal expectations, and the speaker’s act of defiance against societal and temporal constraints.

Short Question-Answers about “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

Question	Answer
What is the speaker’s primary argument in the sonnet?	The speaker argues that they will not be altered by Time (“No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change”). They defy its records as false (“Thy registers and thee I both defy”) and assert their enduring love as a force superior to it (“I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee”).
How does the speaker use the image of pyramids?	Pyramids symbolize Time’s supposed achievements (“Thy pyramids built up with newer might”). The speaker dismisses these as superficial (“…nothing novel, nothing strange”), arguing they’re not true innovations but repackaged concepts (“They are but dressings of a former sight”).
What is the significance of the sonnet’s final couplet?	The couplet (“This I do vow, and this shall ever be: / I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee”) shifts from contemplation to declaration. This vow of unwavering love and loyalty becomes a direct attack against Time’s destructive potential.
How does the poem’s structure reflect its themes?	The sonnet form’s regularity (iambic pentameter, rhyme scheme) mirrors the speaker’s desire for control within limitations. Just as Time flows, yet the sonnet contains it, the speaker wishes to manage their experience within the constraints of mortality.

Literary Works Similar to “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

·  Other Shakespearean Sonnets:

• Sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”): Focus on preserving beauty and love through poetry in the face of time.
• Sonnet 73 (“That time of year thou mayst in me behold”): Themes of aging, mortality, and the intensifying power of love when facing death.

·  John Donne’s “Death Be Not Proud”: A metaphysical poem with a similar tone of defiance against mortality – though it argues that death is an illusion, not that love will conquer it.

·  Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”: While less philosophical, it shares the urgency of love and the argument against wasting time. This poem has a more carpe diem (“seize the day”) feel, yet still acknowledges time’s power.

·  Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley“: Focuses on the impermanence of empires and earthly greatness. Like “Sonnet 123” it questions the value society places on monuments of the past.

·  Modern Poetry:

• Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”: Shares the defiant spirit, though focused on resisting death rather than defying time’s changes.
• Works by poets like Sylvia Plath and W.B Yeats often confront mortality and use imagery related to time, providing interesting points of comparison.

Suggested Readings: “Sonnet 123” by William Shakespeare

Scholarly Monographs

• Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1997.
• Vendler is a leading scholar in the field. Her close readings provide detailed interpretations of individual sonnets.
• Booth, Stephen. Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Edited with Analytic Commentary. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000
• Offers critical essays and textual analysis alongside the sonnets, providing historical and critical context relevant to Sonnet 123.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Foster, Donald W. “‘Pyramids Built Up with Newer Might’: Discriminating Among the Variant Texts of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 123.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 4, 2000, pp. 426-450. JSTOR, [invalid URL removed]
• Examines textual variations of the sonnet, adding depth to any discussion of language and manuscript history.
• Edington, Catherine. “‘Born to Our Desire’ – Desire and Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” Erotic Discourse and Early Modern Literature, edited by Amanda Bailey and Roze Hentschell, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010, pp. 99-118.
• Explores how themes of time and desire intersect in the sonnet. Offers a possible avenue to connect the poem to broader Early Modern literary trends.

Reputable Websites

• Folger Shakespeare Library: https://www.folger.edu/shakespeares-sonnets
  • A trusted institution providing the text of Sonnet 123, resources, and scholarly essays for further exploration.