Introduction of the Sonnet:
Sonnet No. 55 entitled “Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments” is one of those which have been regarded as masterpieces in this series. In this sonnet, we find Shakespeare's awareness of his own poetic genius and his knowledge that his poetry is of such high merit that it would continue to be read for ever. Shakespeare's profound love for his friend is also found in this sonnet. The friend stands high in Shakespeare's estimation. Shakespeare's admiration and love for his friend are sincere and genuine.
Summary of the Sonnet:
According to William Shakespeare, neither the marble statues of great persons or of the gods and goddesses nor the beautiful and well - decorated memorials and tombs covered with the thick layers of gold can have a longer life than his powerful sonnets which he has written in praise and honour of his friend. His sonnets have great power to survive in this mortal world until it remains in existence. All the objects of the physical world shall come within the circle of the passing time, but his sonnets shall be handed over generation by generation. The poet's friend would always shine brightly through the words of his sonnets. The statues made of stones are covered with the thick layers of dust with the passage of time and due to great dirt, their brightness and beauty disappear, but his friend would shine and nobody would forget him. When the fierceful battles would topple down the statues and uproot the buildings created by the masons, the sonnets in which his name, memory, nature and deeds have been recorded, would not be destroyed even with the sword of the god of war nor the fire of war would burn the memory of his friend recorded in his sonnets. He would exist midst the people like a living person.
According to the poet, his loving friend would be free from man's greatest enemy, forgetfulness. His death would overcome the forgetfulness. The poet's sonnets would keep him alive in the minds of people. He would get immortality through the sonnets of the poet. He would survive midst the people like a living person. The poet has written a lot in the praise and honour of his friend in his sonnets. The coming generation would read his depiction in his sonnets and in this way he would always find place in their minds. The poet's friend would be alive in the minds of the people until this world exists. The passing of time would eventually bring this world to an end on the Doomsday when he, like all dead men, would get up from his grave and when all the human beings would stand before God to face divine judgement. (It is a general belief among the Christians that the world would end on the Doomsday and on that day all the dead ones arise from the graves to get their rewards and punishment from God). The poet's friend would never be dead but would continue to live through the poet's sonnets. He would be remembered by those who, after reading his sonnets, would provide him suitable place in their hearts.
Critical Appreciation of the Sonnet:
Introduction:
The sonnet No. 55, entitled Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments is one of those which have been regarded as master pieces in this series. Although it is not the best and the greatest of all Shakespeare's sonnets, yet it is certainly one of the best and the greatest. The first point to be noted here is, of course, Shakespeare's awareness of his own poetic genius and his knowledge that his poetry (in these sonnets as well as in his plays) is of such high merit that it would continue to be read forever. This idea has already been expressed in some foregoing sonnets. But what gives distinction to this particular sonnet is the manner in which Shakespeare's awareness of his poetic greatness has been expressed. There is Shakespeare's profound love for his friend which really prompted this sonnet. The friend stands high in poet's estimation. In this sonnet the poet presents some facts about the mortality of every object of this world, the power of time, the nature of forgetfulness of someone after death and surviving the poetry upto the Doomsday. Besides exhibiting his genius of writing poetry, he presents the immortality of the contents of a work related to prose or poetry because these contents are read generation by generation and the readers come to know about that particular thing or person which has already disappeared long ago.
Thought - Content:
Neither marble nor ornamented monuments can stand against the power of time. They would come within the range of time sooner or later, but the poet's friend would remain unaffected from the ravages of time. He would shine more brightly in his sonnets than those uncleaned stones that defaced with the passage of time. He would remain alive through the poet's sonnets. The poet has written a lot in the praise of his friend in his sonnets. He has expressed sincere love for his friend through his sonnets. The wars and disputes can be able to destroy the statues and magnificent buildings, but the poet's friend's living monument of memory would continue to survive. His praise would find a place in the eyes of coming generation that live to the end of this world. In this way, he would live on this earth till the Day of Judgement calls him to arise.
The Intensity and Spontaneity of the Sonnet in Praise of Self:
This sonnet celebrates Shakespeare's own poetry of which the sonnets are a striking specimen; but in this celebration of his own excellence lies also the lyrical quality of the poem. Shakespeare here becomes eloquent in self-praise; and, as the self - praise is fully justified, it is treated not as a piece of bragging but as a bit of genuine and excusable admiration of his own poetic genius. Neither marble structures nor the gilded monuments of princes shall live longer than his poetry, Shakespeare says in the opening lines of this sonnet. According to Shakespeare's assertion, these sonnets would defend his friend ‘against death and all - oblivious enmity’. Here once again it is the intensity and spontaneity of the emotion which are most marked.
No Consistency of Thoughts:
Strict consistency of thought is not observed by Shakespeare in most of his sonnets. He does not develop or expand one single attitude as most other sonneteers do. He contradicts a view or a thought or an emotion which has been expressed in the earlier part of a sonnet, and he contradicts it as emphatically as the view has previously beer expressed. This sonnet begins with the line: “Not marbles, not the gilded monuments.” Here once again Shakespeare expresses contradictory attitudes. Marble statues and the ornate monuments of princes would have a shorter life than ‘this powerful rhyme’ (namely the sonnets written by Shakespeare). Marble statues would be overturned by wasteful war; the work of masonry would be destroyed to its very foundations during battles which are fought; but these sonnets would exist forever. Neither the sword of Mars nor the fires of war would be able to kill or burn these sonnets which would always be read by posterity. And, as Shakespeare has written these sonnets about his friend (namely the Earl of Southampton), they would serve as a permanent memorial to his friend. Thus, his friend would live on till Doomsday. There is a basic contradiction in this sonnet because Shakespeare here first expresses the view that memorials and monuments would, in course of time, be destroyed by wars or by the fires of war and by the destructive power of time. and then claims that his friend's youth and beauty would be preserved forever in the sonnets which he has written about his friend.
Style and Language:
This sonnet is throughout filled to overflowing with the elixir, the ecstasy, the dithyrambic certainties. Here every image piles upto suggest that poetry enjoys an authority or exists from a dimension to which all temporal fabrications and engagements are as nothing; and the weightiest and most serious are chosen for the purpose. The two ways of eternal understanding, poetry and religion are happily balanced in final juxtaposition of ‘judgement’ and ‘lover's eyes’. The use of words and phrases such as ‘marble’ (to mean marble statues, or monuments made of marble), ‘gilded monuments’, ‘unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time’, ‘wasteful war’; ‘nor Mars his sword’, ‘the living record of your memory’, ‘all - oblivious enmity’, and ‘dwell in lover's eyes’ is most appropriate and suited to the ideas being expressed.
The Poet's Profound and Sincere Love for His Friend:
Here we find Shakespeare's profound love for his friend which really prompted this sonnet, just as it prompted most of the others in the series. The poet's admiration and love for his friend are genuine and sincere. In spite of mortality of this physical world he, through the source of his sonnets, made him immortal. He wishes that his friend would remain alive midst his readers upto the Doomsday. The poet has mentioned great praise of his dear friend in his sonnets. He has poured out his inner emotions and feelings to exhibit his intense love for him. Hence, it is true that no poet can write such great poetry unless they actually animate his heart.
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