Poetry · Chapter
Sonnet CXXIII explained
The speaker defiantly addresses Time, asserting that he does not change despite Time's new constructions and records.
What happens
The speaker defiantly addresses Time, asserting that he does not change despite Time's new constructions and records. He argues that what appears novel is merely a re-dressing of the past, and he vows to remain true in defiance of Time's power.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because the speaker reaches an emotional and psychological peak of self-aware torm…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Time and Mortality
The central theme: the speaker challenges Time's power to change him, asserting constancy against decay.
- Truth and Deception
The speaker accuses Time's records and present sights of lying, emphasizing a deeper truth beyond temporal appearances.
Characters to notice
- Time
Addressed directly as an adversary; the speaker defies Time's boast and scythe.
Key passages
“No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change: Thy pyramids built up with newer might To me are nothing novel, nothing strange; They are but dressings of a former sight.”
Time, you cannot claim that I change: your grand new monuments are not new or strange to me; they are just old things in new clothes.
The speaker denies being altered by Time's novelties, seeing them as recycled past.
“This I do vow and this shall ever be; I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee.”
I make this vow forever: I will remain faithful, regardless of your destructive power, Time.
A final declaration of constancy in the face of Time's inevitable destruction.
