Not Marble Nor The Gilded Monuments.

 

Not marble nor the gilded monuments

Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme,

But you shall shine more bright in these contents

Than unswept stone besmeared with sluttish time.

When wasteful war shall statues overturn,

And broils root out the work of masonry,

Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn

The living record of your memory.

'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity

Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room

Even in the eyes of all posterity

That wear this world out to the ending doom.

So, till the Judgement that yourself arise,

You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.

~WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

"Among the 154 sonnets Shakespeare wrote, this was the 55^th. The sonnet he wrote carries the memory of his friend. Its para phrasing is as follows-

The Princes and all the powerful people get their statues built so that they can be remembered forever. Nevertheless, those monuments would remain uncared for. They would be demolished with time either by humans, or by nature. However, Shakespeare's friend would live forever; shining in this sonnet for no one can destroy literary work.

Shakespeare calls war wasteful because it brings no good, just destruction. Therefore, will all the monuments and statues be destructed? But even god with all his powers won't be able to destroy this sonnet from the hearts of people. Even the work of masons would be forgotten with time. Wars are fire that burn everything including all the monuments, but it would never be able to destroy this sonnet for it would continue to live in the hearts of people."