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Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Summary in English by William Shakespeare
Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Summary in English
This sonnet is one of 154 sonnets written by William Shakespeare and reflects one of the major themes expressed in his sonnets. In this sonnet, Shakespeare writes that poetry is eternal and will immortalise the subject of the poem. The poet asserts that his portrait of the young man written in verse will outlive even marble, memorials of prince, which will inevitably become neglected.
In the first quatrain, the poet addresses the person whom his sonnet is dedicated to and says that his poetry will make the person survive through time. He feels that neither marble nor the gold-plated monuments of princes will outlive this powerful poetry. The subject of his sonnet will shine more brightly in these poems than those stones that crumble to dust, blackened by time. In this sonnet Shakespeare gives time a character in this case time is ‘sluttish’ suggesting that it’s dirty and careless.
Time cares for no individual, it is immoral and will pass. The people memorialised will eventually
be forgotten. The second quatrain demonstrates the poet’s declaration. The young man will be remembered despite the ruin of‘wasteful war’. When devastating war overturns statues, with its battles uprooting buildings, neither the god of war nor his quick-burning fires shall destroy this record. Despite death and ignorant enmity, the person’s name shall continue on.
The final quatrain contains the powerful image of the young man who will not only be remembered but also praised in the eyes of ‘all posterity’. All those generations to come, down to the weary end of time, will devote space to praising him. So until Judgement Day, when he is raised up, he will live in this poetry, and in the eyes of lovers who read this. His memory will survive till Doomsday.
The final couplet sums up the ideas that have been expressed in each quatrain. The young man will live in the poet’s verse until the Judgment day.
Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
On the basis of your understanding of Shakespeare’s sonnet, answer the following questions by ticking the correct options.
a. The rich and powerful got ornate monuments made in order to
(i) show off their wealth
(ii) display their power
(iii) show their artistic talent
(iv) be remembered till posterity
Answer:
(iv) be remembered till posterity
b. The poet addresses his sonnet to
(i) time
(ii) war
(iii) the person he loves
(iv) powerful rulers
Answer:
(iii) the person he loves
c. In the line ‘The living record of your memory living record refers to
(i) the sonnet the poet has written for his friend
(ii) an existing statue of his friend
(iii) his friend who lives in the poet’s memory
(iv) the autobiography of the poet’s friend
Answer:
(i) the sonnet the poet has written for his friend
d. The poet’s tone in the poem is
(i) despairing
(ii) optimistic
(iii) loving
(iv) admiring
Answer:
(iii) loving
e. The poem is set in
(i) the place where the poet meets his friend
(ii) a battlefield where Mars is fighting a battle
(iii) a city ravaged by war
(iv) the poet’s study where he is writing
Answer:
(iv) the poet’s study where he is writing
Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly.
a. Why do you think the rich and powerful people get monuments and statues erected in their memory?
Answer:
Rich and powerful people get monuments erected in their memory so that people do not forget them. They want to live on in people’s memory. ‘
b. Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.
Answer:
Monuments and statues are destroyed by time. They fall into ruin.
c. Why does the poet refer to Time as being sluttish?
Answer:
Time is ‘sluttish’ as it is careless. Time cares for no individual, it is immoral and will pass.
d. The poet says that neither forces of nature nor wars can destroy his poetry. In fact, even godly powers of Mars will not have a devastating effect on his rhyme. What quality of the poet is revealed through these lines?
Answer:
The poet says that his poetry will survive the passage of time. This shows his arrogance and his pride in his own creation.