“Sonnet 17:  Who Will Believe My Verse in Time to Come” by William Shakespeare: A Critical Analysis

Who will believe my verse in time to come,

If it were filled with your most high deserts?

Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb

Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts.

If I could write the beauty of your eyes,

And in fresh numbers number all your graces,

The age to come would say ‘This poet lies;

Such heavenly touches ne’er touched earthly faces.’

So should my papers, yellowed with their age,

Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue,

And your true rights be termed a poet’s rage

And stretched metre of an antique song:

   But were some child of yours alive that time,

   You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.

·         The Enduring Power of Art: Sonnet 17 explores the enduring nature of art and its ability to transcend the limitations of time. The speaker expresses concern about the future reception of their work, but ultimately asserts that the power of poetry can ensure its survival. The lines “You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme” suggest that the beloved will be immortalized through both their child and the poet’s verse, highlighting the lasting impact of artistic expression.

·         The Limitations of Language: The sonnet also delves into the limitations of language and its inability to fully capture the essence of reality. The speaker acknowledges that even a detailed poetic description cannot adequately convey the beauty and complexity of the beloved. This theme is reflected in the lines “Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb / Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts,” suggesting that language can only offer a partial glimpse of the truth.

·         The Passage of Time: The theme of time is central to Sonnet 17. The speaker contemplates the potential for their work to be forgotten or dismissed in the future, emphasizing the passage of time and its destructive effects. However, the sonnet ultimately suggests that art can overcome the limitations of time and preserve beauty and meaning for posterity.

·         The Legacy of Love: The sonnet also explores the enduring nature of love and its ability to transcend the limitations of time and mortality. The speaker suggests that the beloved’s love will live on through their child and the poet’s verse, ensuring their legacy. This theme highlights the power of love to create lasting connections and preserve memories even in the face of time’s ravages.

·         How does the speaker convey doubt about the future reception of his poetry?

• In “Sonnet 17,” the speaker expresses significant doubt about whether future readers will believe the praise he writes about his subject. He fears that future generations will see his descriptions as exaggerated and unbelievable. This skepticism is evident when the speaker suggests that his verse will be dismissed as a lie: “The age to come would say ‘This poet lies; / Such heavenly touches ne’er touched earthly faces'” (Lines 7-8). The use of words like “lies” and the comparison to “heavenly touches” indicate that the poet feels his attempts to capture his subject’s beauty are inadequate and that later readers will discredit his work.

·         What role does immortality play in the poem?

• The theme of immortality is central to the sonnet, as the speaker reflects on how beauty and virtue can endure beyond the limitations of time through poetry and procreation. In the final couplet, Shakespeare offers a solution to the doubt about future belief in the subject’s beauty: “But were some child of yours alive that time, / You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme” (Lines 13-14). The speaker suggests that if the subject has a child, their beauty would be preserved both in the child and in the verse, providing two means of immortality—biological through offspring and literary through the poem.

·         How does the speaker view the limitations of poetry in capturing beauty?

• The speaker acknowledges the limitations of his poetic skills in accurately portraying the beauty of his subject. He compares his poem to a “tomb” that hides more than it reveals: “Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb / Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts” (Lines 3-4). This metaphor suggests that poetry, no matter how eloquent, can only capture a fraction of the subject’s true essence. The speaker implies that the full extent of the subject’s beauty and worth is beyond the capabilities of language, making poetry an imperfect medium for immortalizing such attributes.

·         What is the significance of the speaker’s concern about aging and the passage of time?

• Aging and the passage of time are underlying concerns in “Sonnet 17,” particularly in how they affect the credibility and relevance of both the subject’s beauty and the poet’s words. The speaker imagines his verses becoming “yellowed with their age,” a metaphor for how his poetry, like an old document, might lose its authenticity and be dismissed by future readers: “So should my papers, yellowed with their age, / Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue” (Lines 9-10). The comparison to “old men” suggests that the speaker fears his poetry will be seen as outdated or irrelevant, mirroring the natural decline that comes with aging.