SONNET XV

When I consider every thing that grows
holds in perfection but a little moment,
that this huge stage presenteth nought but shows
whereon the stars in secret influence comment;
when I perceive that men as plants increase, [5]
cheered and cheque'd even by the self-same sky,
vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,
and wear their brave state out of memory;
then the conceit of this inconstant stay
sets you most rich in youth before my sight, [10]
Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,
to change your day of youth to sullied night;
and all in war with Time for love of you,
as he takes from you, I engraft you new.

Quando concepisco che qualsiasi cosa nasca
mantiene la perfezione per pochi attimi,
quest'infinita scena offre solo illusioni
su cui le stelle esercitano segretamente il loro influsso;

quando osservo gli uomini al pari delle piante,
irradiati e provocati dallo stesso cielo,
vantarsi della loro gioventù, all'apice sfiorire,
e levarsi dalla memoria la primavera;

dunque il pensiero di questo stato precario
presenta agli occhi miei, ricco di gioventù
mentre il tempo distruttore adopera con la morte
per mutare il tuo giorno odierno in fetida notte

ed in piena guerra col tempo, per amor tuo
come egli ti priva, io ti ripianto ancora.

PAG.137 es.1

a.T

b.F

c.F

d.T

e.T

f.T

PAG.137 es.2

A

a.Initial word: When;When

b.What does the poet does: explains the life of the things; compares mans to plants

c.The object of his consideration: stars and life, mans and plants

B

The stars and the sky represent life passing through the years.

C

It conveys the idea that everything must come to an and.

PAG.137 es.3

A

The linker that introduces the third stanza is “then” it has an explement function.

B

He uses the pronoun you and it stand for his beloved.

C

The time is the destruction of his love, because it isn’t eternal.

PAG.137 es.4

In the name of love the poet fights against time; while passing time takes life away from his beloved, the poet gives him new youth through his poem.

PAG.137 es.5

Two examples of personification are the stars and the plants. The poet uses devices like metaphors.

PAG.137 es.6

ABAB, when I, all living things end

CDCD, when I, men and plants share the same end

EFEF, then, therefore considering years, the beloved will pass away

GG, and, and the poet with the poem give the beloved an eternal youth

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE POEM

Right from the title I expect the poem to be about the considerations of the writer. The sonnet is arranged into three quatrain and a rhyming couplet. In the first stanza the poet realises that the perfection of the things lasts for a few moments. This is an illusion gives from the starts. In the second stanza the poem uses a metaphor to compare men and plants. In the third stanza the poet says that his beloved one day will go and die. But in the rhyming couplet the writer gives to the beloved an eternal youth.  I think that the message of the poem is that everything must come to an end and we have to appreciate every second because there won’t be another identical one.