What does this poem mean? Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments?

Question

what is this poem talking about and how can you understand it?

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these cont‰nts
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 our to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

The poem aims to immortalize the subject in verse. The poem is meant to impress the subject with the poet's intent. The poem shall survive longer than any gold-plated statue (gilded monument), that might be erected to a prince, etc. The subject of the poem (probably some winsome beauty that the poet really really wants to shag), will be portrayed in the poem for all time, etc. Further, the ending basically says that she'll be immortalized in the poem until the Day of Judgement (reference Judeo-Christian belief system), and she "rises" from her grave to face said Judgement.

I think it's fun to note that the poet talks about how great the poem is, and how it will immortalize the subject, but - in the end it says absolutely nothing about the subject. There's a great deal of irony there, and it shows the true arrogance of the author, and reveals that his intent is not to please her, or portray her, but merely impress her with the creation of the poem.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Of course it is Shakespeare's Sonnet 55.
The sonnet shares its theme with that of several others, 18, 19, 65, 81, 107, 123, which oppose the power of verse to death and Time's cruel knife, and promise immortality to the beloved. Curiously enough, it does not seem to make any difference that the verse immortalizes the youth without revealing him, for the very fact of immortality seems to confer anonymity. The concluding couplet seems to be entirely satisfying, and we do not need to press further inquiries on the poet and demand to know who it is to whom eternal life is given. It is enough that he lives in lovers' eyes, for they comprehend all mysteries, and perhaps, on the last day, at the ending doom, we will know all the answers anyway, and realize that they were not all that important.

Source(s):

http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/55co…

Answer 3

OK I think it is easier to understand in couplets (2 lines)

No gold statues or idols of princes (royality) shall last as long as this poem
you shall shine more brightly then the dusty dirty stone(steps/statues)
War will destroy the statues, and fights break chunks from the base (type thing)
Mars is the god of war ..he cant get rid of your memory (records)
Against death and an enemy you r oblivious too
you shall continue on...your praise still finds room
Posterity ==long lived (even after you are gone)
The ppl that wear this world till it ending days
You live in this poem and those who love it


Thats my best guess....the last line or so i am not positive about but it is an interpretation

Source(s):

myself