Poetry · Chapter
Sonnet LXXVII explained
The poet instructs the young man to use a mirror and a sundial as reminders of his physical decay and the passage of time, and to fill blank pages with his thoughts, which will become like children of his mind, enriching both himself and th
What happens
The poet instructs the young man to use a mirror and a sundial as reminders of his physical decay and the passage of time, and to fill blank pages with his thoughts, which will become like children of his mind, enriching both himself and the book.
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 mirror and sundial directly confront the youth with his aging and the relentless march toward death.
- Procreation and Legacy
The poet frames written thoughts as 'children nursed, deliver'd from thy brain,' offering an intellectual legacy as an alternative to biological procreation.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear, Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste;”
Your mirror will reveal your fading beauty, and your sundial will show how your valuable time is being wasted.
The poet uses everyday objects to remind the youth of his physical and temporal decline.
“Those children nursed, deliver’d from thy brain, To take a new acquaintance of thy mind.”
Those thoughts, nurtured and born from your mind, will become new companions for your intellect.
Writing down one's thoughts is metaphorically compared to giving birth to children.
