“Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

Introduction: “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

“Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare first appeared in 1609 in the collection “Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” This sonnet is characterized by its melancholic tone and the poet’s contemplation of time’s destructive power. Shakespeare explores the idea that time, often personified as a “devouring lion,” erodes beauty and eventually leads to death. The main idea of the sonnet is a plea to time to spare the beauty of the beloved from its relentless march, emphasizing the fragility of youth and the inevitability of decay.

Text: “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

Annotations: “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

Line	Annotation
Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws,	Time is personified as a lion, symbolizing its destructive power. The poet asks Time to weaken its strength.
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;	Time is asked to cause nature to consume its own offspring, suggesting the inevitability of death.
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s jaws,	Time is asked to remove the destructive force of other predators.
And burn the long-liv’d Phoenix in her blood;	The Phoenix, a mythical bird known for its rebirth, is asked to be consumed by fire, suggesting that even immortality cannot escape Time’s grasp.
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets,	Time is asked to continue its natural cycle of changing seasons, representing the passage of time.
And do whate’er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,	The poet acknowledges Time’s power and inevitability.
To the wide world and all her fading sweets;	Time is allowed to affect the world and its beauty.
But I forbid thee one more heinous crime:	The poet begins his plea to Time.
O, carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow,	The poet asks Time not to age his beloved’s appearance.
Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen!	The poet continues his plea for Time to spare his beloved’s beauty.
Him in thy course untainted do allow	The poet asks Time to preserve his beloved’s beauty throughout the passage of time.
For beauty’s pattern to succeeding men.	The poet suggests that his beloved’s beauty should serve as a model for future generations.
Yet do thy worst, old Time! Despite thy wrong	The poet defiantly challenges Time’s power.
My love shall in my verse ever live young.	The poet asserts that his love, immortalized in poetry, will forever remain youthful.

Themes: “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

1. The Destructive Power of Time: Shakespeare opens with the idea that time is a devouring force, capable of diminishing the strength of the lion, the fierceness of the tiger, and even the mythical Phoenix. This portrayal emphasizes the inevitability of time’s destructive force on all things, living or otherwise: “Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws, / And make the earth devour her own sweet brood” (lines 1-2). This theme underscores the unstoppable march of time as it ravages nature and life.
2. The Transience of Nature and Seasons: The sonnet touches upon the idea that time not only affects individual creatures but also governs the cycles of the natural world. Shakespeare writes, “Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets” (line 5), showing how time brings both joy and sorrow as it causes the earth to undergo its seasonal transformations. This fleeting nature of the seasons symbolizes the broader impermanence of life and beauty in the world.
3. The Immortality of Art vs. Physical Decay: Despite time’s power over all living things, Shakespeare asserts the immortality of his verse, which will preserve his love’s beauty forever. This theme emerges in the lines, “My love shall in my verse ever live young” (line 14), where the poet suggests that while time may alter physical beauty, his written word will protect his love from aging, thereby granting a form of eternal youth through poetry.
4. Resistance to Time’s Effects on Beauty: The speaker resists time’s destructive power over his beloved, pleading that it should not “carve” wrinkles or “draw no lines” on his lover’s face (lines 9-10). This resistance speaks to the human desire to preserve beauty and youth, even in the face of inevitable aging. However, the poet’s defiance of time is ultimately reconciled through the idea that poetry can immortalize beauty for future generations.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

Literary/Poetic Device	Definition	Example from Sonnet 19	Explanation
Personification	Giving human characteristics to non-human things	“Devouring Time”	Time is presented as a living creature, capable of devouring and destroying.
Metaphor	A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as”	“Time is a thief” (implied)	Time is compared to a thief, stealing beauty and youth.
Imagery	The use of vivid language to create mental images	“Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws”	The image of a lion’s paws being blunted creates a powerful picture of Time’s destructive power being weakened.
Symbolism	The use of objects or characters to represent abstract ideas	“The Phoenix”	The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth and immortality, but even it cannot escape Time’s grasp.
Alliteration	The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words	“Devouring Time”	The repetition of the “d” sound creates a sense of urgency and emphasis.
Assonance	The repetition of the same vowel sound within words	“Devouring Time”	The repetition of the “o” sound creates a melodic and haunting effect.
Consonance	The repetition of the same consonant sound within or at the end of words	“Blunt thou the lion’s paws”	The repetition of the “l” sound creates a sense of rhythm and emphasis.
Enjambment	The continuation of a sentence or thought beyond the end of a line	“Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws, / And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;”	The sentence continues beyond the first line, creating a sense of urgency and flow.
Hyperbole	An exaggeration for dramatic effect	“O, carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow”	The poet exaggerates the harm that Time could do to his beloved’s beauty.
Paradox	A statement that seems contradictory but expresses a truth	“Yet do thy worst, old Time! Despite thy wrong / My love shall in my verse ever live young.”	The poet suggests that while Time can do harm, his love will remain eternal through poetry.
Oxymoron	A combination of contradictory terms	“Fading sweets”	The phrase suggests that beauty is both fleeting and precious.
Antithesis	The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas or elements	“Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets”	The phrase contrasts the joyful and sorrowful aspects of time’s passage.
Repetition	The repeated use of words or phrases	“Devouring Time”	The repetition of “Devouring Time” emphasizes the relentless nature of time.
Parallelism	The use of similar grammatical structures or patterns	“Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws, / And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;”	Both lines begin with a verb, creating a sense of balance and rhythm.
Pun	A play on words	“Him in thy course untainted do allow”	The word “course” can refer to both Time’s passage and a horse’s path, suggesting that Time should treat the beloved with care.
Euphemism	A mild expression used to substitute for a harsher one	“Fading sweets”	The phrase is a euphemism for death or decay.
Rhetorical question	A question asked for effect, not expecting an answer	“But I forbid thee one more heinous crime:”	The poet asks a rhetorical question to emphasize his plea to Time.
Metonymy	The use of the name of one thing to represent something closely associated with it	“Time’s course”	“Time’s course” refers to the passage of time.
Synecdoche	The use of a part to represent the whole or vice versa	“His fair brow”	“His fair brow” refers to his entire face.
Apostrophe	Addressing a person or thing not present	“Devouring Time”	The poet directly addresses Time, even though it is not a person.

Literary Theories and “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

Literary Theory	Explanation	References from Sonnet 19
New Criticism	Focuses on the text itself, examining its structure, language, and themes.	* “Devouring Time” personifies time as a destructive force. * The sonnet’s structure and rhyme scheme contribute to its overall effect. * The themes of time, mortality, and love are explored in depth.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Examines the psychological motivations of characters and the author, often using Freud’s theories.	* The sonnet’s exploration of time and mortality may reflect the poet’s anxieties about aging and death. * The poet’s plea to Time to spare his beloved’s beauty may reveal a deep-seated fear of loss.
Feminist Criticism	Examines how gender is represented in literature and how it affects the experiences of characters.	* Although the sonnet does not explicitly address gender issues, it can be interpreted through a feminist lens. * The focus on beauty and youth may reflect societal expectations for women. * The poet’s desire to preserve his beloved’s beauty may be seen as a form of objectification.

Critical Questions about “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

• How does Shakespeare personify time in Sonnet 19, and what is the significance of this portrayal?
• In Sonnet 19, Shakespeare personifies time as a force capable of actively consuming and destroying the natural world. He addresses time directly, referring to it as “Devouring Time” (line 1) and assigning it agency to “blunt” the lion’s paws and “pluck” the tiger’s teeth (lines 1, 3). This personification emphasizes time’s uncontrollable and violent nature, suggesting that all life is vulnerable to its power. The question here is why Shakespeare chooses such aggressive metaphors to describe time, and what this implies about his view on its effects on both nature and humanity.
• What role does nature play in the sonnet’s meditation on time and mortality?
• Shakespeare uses imagery from nature to explore the impact of time on the world, highlighting the universal reach of time’s destructive power. He mentions not only animals like the lion and the tiger, but also the mythical Phoenix, which symbolizes cyclical rebirth. By including the Phoenix and having it “burn…in her blood” (line 4), Shakespeare emphasizes that even symbols of immortality are not immune to time’s ravages. This raises the question of how nature, often viewed as eternal or regenerative, is portrayed as ultimately succumbing to time’s force. What does this reveal about the inevitability of decay?
• How does the speaker’s plea to time reflect his perception of beauty and love?
• In the second half of the sonnet, the speaker implores time to spare his beloved from aging, pleading, “O, carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow” (line 9). This reveals an underlying fear of the physical decay of beauty, which the speaker perceives as inevitable under the passage of time. The plea also reflects the speaker’s deep emotional attachment, as he equates his lover’s beauty with an ideal that should remain untainted. The critical question here is whether the speaker’s emphasis on preserving beauty through his verse indicates a superficial or deeper connection to his love.
• How does the sonnet reconcile time’s destructive force with the concept of immortality through poetry?
• The concluding couplet of the sonnet presents a striking paradox. Despite acknowledging time’s relentless power, Shakespeare asserts, “My love shall in my verse ever live young” (line 14). This statement raises the question of how poetry, an artistic creation, can serve as a means of resisting time’s effects. While physical beauty and life may fade, the speaker believes that art possesses the power to immortalize love and beauty. This tension between the transience of life and the permanence of art invites further reflection on whether Shakespeare views poetry as an effective antidote to mortality or simply a symbolic gesture.

Literary Works Similar to “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

1. John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn“: Both poems explore the theme of immortality through art, with Keats emphasizing how art captures eternal beauty, much like Shakespeare’s belief that his verse will preserve his love from time’s effects.
2. Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress“: Marvell similarly wrestles with the concept of time’s relentless passage, urging his beloved to seize the moment before beauty and life are consumed by time’s destructive power, echoing Shakespeare’s concern with the effects of time on love and beauty.
3. Edmund Spenser’s Amoretti Sonnet 75: Spenser’s speaker, like Shakespeare, asserts that his poetry will immortalize his beloved’s name and beauty, making them immune to the ravages of time and death.
4. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ozymandias“: This poem shares a contemplation of time’s power to destroy, illustrating how even the mightiest figures and their creations eventually crumble, paralleling Shakespeare’s depiction of time’s inevitable destruction of beauty.
5. William Butler Yeats’ “Sailing to Byzantium“: Yeats explores a desire to transcend the physical limitations of time and mortality through art and intellect, much like Shakespeare’s hope that poetry will preserve his love’s beauty beyond the reach of time.

Representative Quotations of “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws”	The poet addresses Time directly, personifying it as a destructive force.	New Criticism: This personification creates a vivid image and sets the tone for the sonnet.
“And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;”	The poet suggests that even nature itself is subject to Time’s destructive power.	Psychoanalytic Criticism: This line may reflect the poet’s fear of mortality and the inevitability of loss.
“Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s jaws”	The poet asks Time to spare other creatures from its destructive force.	Feminist Criticism: This line could be interpreted as a plea for compassion and mercy, even towards predators.
“And burn the long-liv’d Phoenix in her blood;”	The poet suggests that even immortality cannot escape Time’s grasp.	New Criticism: The reference to the Phoenix, a symbol of rebirth, creates a powerful contrast with the destructive force of Time.
“Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets”	The poet acknowledges Time’s relentless passage and its impact on human experience.	Psychoanalytic Criticism: This line may reflect the poet’s acceptance of the cyclical nature of life and death.
“But I forbid thee one more heinous crime:”	The poet begins his plea to Time, expressing his desire to protect his beloved from its destructive power.	Feminist Criticism: This line could be interpreted as a reflection of patriarchal ideals, where men protect and cherish women.
“O, carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow”	The poet asks Time to spare his beloved’s beauty from the ravages of age.	New Criticism: This line highlights the theme of the sonnet and creates a sense of urgency and emotional intensity.
“Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen!”	The poet continues his plea, emphasizing the importance of preserving his beloved’s youth and beauty.	Psychoanalytic Criticism: This line may reveal the poet’s fear of losing his beloved’s physical attractiveness.
“Yet do thy worst, old Time! Despite thy wrong”	The poet defiantly challenges Time’s power, asserting that his love will endure.	Feminist Criticism: This line could be interpreted as a statement of defiance against societal expectations and the limitations imposed by time and aging.
“My love shall in my verse ever live young.”	The poet declares that his love will be immortalized in poetry, transcending the limitations of time.	New Criticism: This final line provides a hopeful and uplifting conclusion to the sonnet.

Suggested Readings: “Sonnet 19:  Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws” by William Shakespeare

1. Roessner, Jane. “The Coherence and the Context of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.” The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, vol. 81, no. 3, 1982, pp. 331–46. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27709024. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
2. Emerson, Oliver Farrar. “Shakespeare’s Sonneteering.” Studies in Philology, vol. 20, no. 2, 1923, pp. 111–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4171848. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
3. McGuire, Philip C. “Shakespeare’s Non-Shakespearean Sonnets.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 3, 1987, pp. 304–19. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870505. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
4. Shakespeare, William. The Sonnets. Folger Shakespeare Library, 2004. http://debracollege.dspaces.org/bitstream/123456789/87/1/shakespeares-sonnets_PDF_FolgerShakespeare.pdf
5. Rowse, Alfred Leslie. Shakespeare’s Sonnets: The Problems Solved. Springer, 1964. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-1-349-15502-6_1.pdf
6. Hieatt, A. Kent. “The Genesis of Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Spenser’s Ruines of Rome: by Bellay.” PMLA, vol. 98, no. 5, 1983, pp. 800-819. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/pmla/article/genesis-of-shakespeares-sonnets-spensers-ruines-of-rome-by-bellay/B23DB1E357C2C0CF55E7DCB6139B5624
7. Mowat, W. “Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 2021. http://debracollege.dspaces.org/bitstream/123456789/87/1/shakespeares-sonnets_PDF_FolgerShakespeare.pdf