Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore

Shakespeare, William

Primary Category: Literature / Poetry

Genre: Sonnet

Annotated by:
Chen, Irene
Aull, Felice
  • Date of entry: May-07-2001

Summary

Shakespeare compares the directionality and rhythmic quality of waves to the natural life cycle: "nativity . . . / crawls to maturity", and to the relentless nature of time. Although death is eventually inevitable, the poet's tone is not one of fear or frustration, but of calm acceptance and the hope that his "verse shall stand."

Primary Source

The Histories and Poems of Shakespeare

Publisher

Random House

Place Published

New York

Edition

V. 2, Modern Library