“Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

“Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare first appeared in 1599 in the Quarto 1 collection. This sonnet is renowned for its exploration of the destructive power of time and the enduring nature of art. The poem begins by contemplating the impermanence of all earthly things, from plants to animals and human beings. However, Shakespeare finds solace in the idea that poetry, as a form of art, can immortalize beauty and prevent it from succumbing to decay. The sonnet ultimately conveys a message of hope and resilience, suggesting that through artistic expression, beauty can transcend the limitations of time and mortality.

Text: “Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

Annotations: ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

Line Number	Text	Annotation
1	When I consider everything	Introduces the speaker’s contemplation of the world.
2	that grows	Continues the contemplation of growth and change.
3	Holds in perfection but a little moment,	Suggests that perfection is fleeting.
4	That this huge stage	Metaphorically refers to the world as a stage.
5	presenteth nought but shows	Implies that the world is full of illusionary appearances.
6	Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;	Suggests that even celestial bodies have a role in earthly affairs.
7	When I perceive that men as plants increase,	Compares human life to the growth of plants.
8	Cheered and check’d even by the selfsame sky,	Indicates the influence of external forces on human life.
9	Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,	Describes the rise and fall of human vitality.
10	And wear their brave state out of memory;	Suggests that even the most glorious achievements fade with time.
11	Then the conceit of this inconstant stay	Reflects on the ephemeral nature of life.
12	Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,	Addresses the beloved, emphasizing their youthful beauty.
13	Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay	Describes the ongoing battle between time and decay.
14	To change your day of youth to sullied night;	Suggests that youth will inevitably give way to old age.
15	And all in war with Time for love of you,	Expresses the speaker’s determination to preserve the beloved’s youth.
16	As he takes from you, I engraft you new.	Suggests that through poetry, the speaker can immortalize the beloved’s beauty.

Literary And Poetic Devices: ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

Device	Definition	Example	Explanation
Alliteration	The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.	“Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay”	The repetition of the “w” sound creates a sense of rhythm and emphasis.
Metaphor	A figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.”	“This huge stage presenteth nought but shows”	The world is compared to a stage, suggesting a theatrical performance.
Personification	Giving human qualities to non-human things.	“Time debateth with Decay”	Time and Decay are presented as human beings engaged in a battle.
Simile	A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.”	“Men as plants increase”	Human life is compared to the growth of plants.
Sonnet	A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter.	The entire poem	Sonnet 15 follows the traditional English sonnet form with three quatrains and a couplet.
Symbolism	The use of objects or images to represent abstract ideas.	The rose	The rose can symbolize beauty, love, and the fleeting nature of life.
Allusion	A reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	An allusion would be a direct or indirect reference to another text, such as a biblical passage or a historical event.
Antithesis	The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas or images.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	Antithesis would involve placing opposing ideas side by side, such as “fair and foul.”
Apostrophe	Addressing someone or something absent or inanimate as if it were present and could understand.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	An apostrophe would involve speaking directly to an object or concept, as in “O, Time, thou must not waste my youth.”
Assonance	The repetition of vowel sounds within words.	“When I consider everything that grows”	The repetition of the “i” sound creates a sense of musicality.
Caesura	A pause within a line of poetry.	“That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows”	The pause after “stage” creates a dramatic effect.
Enjambment	The continuation of a sentence or thought from one line of poetry to the next.	“That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;”	The sentence continues from the first line to the second, creating a sense of flow.
Hyperbole	Exaggeration for effect.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	Hyperbole would involve an extreme overstatement, such as “I could eat a horse.”
Imagery	The use of vivid language to create mental images.	“Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay”	The image of Time and Decay battling creates a powerful visual.
Irony	A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	Irony would involve saying one thing but meaning the opposite, such as saying “What a beautiful day!” when it’s raining.
Oxymoron	A figure of speech combining contradictory terms.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	An oxymoron would be a phrase like “jumbo shrimp” or “bitter sweet.”
Paradox	A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	A paradox would be a statement like “I must be cruel to be kind.”
Pun	A play on words.	(Not explicitly present in Sonnet 15)	A pun would involve a word with multiple meanings being used in a humorous way.
Rhyme	The repetition of sounds at the end of words.	“Grows” and “shows,” “Increase” and “decrease”	Sonnet 15 follows a specific rhyme scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG).

Themes: ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

1. The Fleeting Nature of Perfection and Growth: Shakespeare reflects on the transience of life, symbolized by growth that reaches perfection only for a brief moment before fading. This theme is clearly presented in the lines, “When I consider everything that grows / Holds in perfection but a little moment.” Here, life is depicted as ephemeral, with perfection existing for a mere instant, after which decay begins its inevitable course.
2. Life as a Performance on a Cosmic Stage: Shakespeare likens human existence to a theatrical performance, where individuals play their roles under the influence of cosmic forces. The lines, “That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows / Whereon the stars in secret influence comment,” imply that human lives are transient displays influenced by celestial forces, indicating that people, like actors, are subject to the whims of the universe.
3. The Cyclical Nature of Life and Decay: Shakespeare explores how both human beings and nature follow a cycle of growth and decay. He parallels men to plants, “When I perceive that men as plants increase, / Cheered and check’d even by the selfsame sky,” portraying how individuals rise to their prime and then decline, much like plants reaching full bloom only to wither under the same environmental forces that nurtured them.
4. The Battle Against Time and Decay Through Immortality: In the concluding lines, Shakespeare introduces the theme of resisting time and decay through the act of poetic preservation. The speaker vows to metaphorically “engraft” the beloved anew through verse, “And all in war with Time for love of you, / As he takes from you, I engraft you new.” Here, Shakespeare asserts the power of art, specifically poetry, to immortalize youth and beauty, defying the ravages of time.

Literary Theories and ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

Literary Theory	Application to “Sonnet 15”	References from the Poem
Formalism	Formalist analysis focuses on the sonnet’s structure, use of metaphor, and word choice, examining how the poet uses these elements to convey meaning. The sonnet adheres to the traditional Shakespearean form with 14 lines, and the poet uses the metaphor of growth and decay to illustrate the brevity of human life.	“When I consider everything that grows / Holds in perfection but a little moment” – Shakespeare uses metaphor and imagery to convey the fleeting nature of life and perfection.
New Historicism	New Historicism explores the sonnet in the context of the Elizabethan era, reflecting the Renaissance concern with time, decay, and the human condition. During Shakespeare’s time, there was a preoccupation with the influence of cosmic forces and the idea that life is temporary and controlled by larger, unseen powers.	“Whereon the stars in secret influence comment” – This line reflects the Elizabethan belief in astrology and the idea that human lives are affected by the influence of the stars and the heavens.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	From a psychoanalytic perspective, the poem could be interpreted as reflecting an inner anxiety over the inevitable passage of time and the decay of youth and beauty. The speaker’s desire to “engraft” the beloved anew suggests a subconscious wish to defy mortality and preserve youth through art.	“As he takes from you, I engraft you new” – The speaker’s effort to metaphorically preserve the subject’s youth through poetry reflects a deeper psychological struggle with aging and decay.

Critical Questions about ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

Literary Works Similar to ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

1. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats: Similar in its exploration of the fleeting nature of beauty and the desire to immortalize moments through art, Keats reflects on how art preserves beauty against time’s decay.
2. “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” by Robert Herrick: Herrick’s poem emphasizes the fleeting nature of youth and beauty, urging readers to seize the moment before time leads to inevitable decline, echoing themes of transience found in Shakespeare’s sonnet.
3. “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats: Yeats contemplates the inevitable passage of time and how nature, like the swans, remains constant even as human life ages and fades, similar to Shakespeare’s reflection on time’s effects.
4. “Mutability” by Percy Bysshe Shelley: Shelley’s poem addresses the impermanence of all things, particularly the human condition, mirroring Shakespeare’s theme of change and decay as central forces in life.
5. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost: Frost, like Shakespeare, reflects on the impermanence of beauty and perfection in nature, capturing the essence of time’s effect on everything that grows and flourishes momentarily.

Representative Quotations of ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“When I consider everything that grows / Holds in perfection but a little moment”	Shakespeare opens the sonnet with a reflection on the impermanence of life and growth, where perfection is brief and fleeting.	Formalism – Focus on the structural imagery of growth and decay.
“That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows”	Shakespeare likens life to a theatrical performance, suggesting that life is a transient display.	New Historicism – Reflects the Renaissance metaphor of the “world as a stage.”
“Whereon the stars in secret influence comment”	This line suggests that cosmic forces, such as the stars, exert influence over human lives.	Astrological Determinism – Implies that human life is controlled by celestial forces, a common Elizabethan belief.
“When I perceive that men as plants increase”	Shakespeare draws a parallel between the growth of humans and plants, highlighting the natural cycle of life.	Eco-Criticism – Connection between human life and nature’s growth and decay.
“Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease”	The speaker observes how individuals, like plants, reach their peak only to decline afterward.	Psychoanalytic Criticism – Reflects human anxiety about aging and decline.
“And wear their brave state out of memory”	Youth and vitality fade into obscurity as time progresses, erasing the memory of former greatness.	Deconstruction – Explores the theme of memory’s unreliability and the erosion of identity over time.
“Then the conceit of this inconstant stay”	The speaker muses on the impermanence of life and youth, which can only be momentarily held.	Post-Structuralism – The idea of “inconstancy” highlights the instability of meaning and existence.
“Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay”	Time is personified as something that wastes and argues with decay, accelerating the process of destruction.	Temporal Criticism – Emphasizes the destructive passage of time and its inevitable effects.
“To change your day of youth to sullied night”	Time transforms the subject’s youthful “day” into the “night” of aging and decay.	Symbolism – The shift from day to night symbolizes the inevitable passage from youth to old age.
“As he takes from you, I engraft you new”	The speaker asserts the power of poetry to preserve the beloved’s youth against time’s destruction.	Formalism – Focus on the metaphor of poetic immortality as a means to defy time.

Suggested Readings: ‘”Sonnet 15: When I consider everything that grows” by William Shakespeare

1. Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Harvard University Press, 1997.
   URL: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674637122
2. Burrow, Colin, editor. The Complete Sonnets and Poems: The Oxford Shakespeare. Oxford University Press, 2008.
   URL: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-complete-sonnets-and-poems-9780199535798
3. Booth, Stephen. Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Yale University Press, 2000.
   URL: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300085068/shakespeares-sonnets/
4. Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. Riverhead Books, 1999.
   URL: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/14985/shakespeare-by-harold-bloom/
5. Spurgeon, Caroline F. E. Shakespeare’s Imagery and What It Tells Us. Cambridge University Press, 1935.
   URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/shakespeares-imagery-and-what-it-tells-us/1500A23881AB03FFB60218AD88D7F84B
6. Schoenfeldt, Michael. The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare’s Poetry. Cambridge University Press, 2010.
   URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-introduction-to-shakespeares-poetry/716C2C3A6F4FDC7AB11D2C8B39A3E85B
7. Greenblatt, Stephen, et al., editors. The Norton Shakespeare. 3rd ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2015.
   URL: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393938630
8. Kermode, Frank. Shakespeare’s Language. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.
   URL: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374526912/shakespeares-language