Sonnet 12: When I do count the clock that tells the time

William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)



When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silvered o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
    And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
    Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 19, 2023

36 sec read
243

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDCEFGFGHH
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 624
Words 120
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". more…

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    "Sonnet 12: When I do count the clock that tells the time" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/41418/sonnet-12:-when-i-do-count-the-clock-that-tells-the-time>.

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    Quiz

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    Which poet is known for writing "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"?
    A T.S. Eliot
    B Dylan Thomas
    C Sylvia Plath
    D William Shakespeare