Sonnet 65: Since Brass, Nor Stone, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless Sea

SONNETCAST – William Shakespeare's Sonnets Recited, Revealed, Relived

Sonnet 65 brings to a close – at least for the moment – this reflection on the passing of time that started with Sonnet 60 and focused quite heavily – certainly in parts – on William Shakespeare's preoccupation with his own age and mortality. The sonnet effectively provides a summing up of the arguments laid out over the previous four or five poems – strictly speaking, Sonnet 61 thematically does not entirely fit into this group – and in doing so it paves the way for a new wave of strongly felt emotions. The sonnet therefore, although it can stand on its own, should really be viewed in the context of these other time-related sonnets and be seen as the conclusion of a consideration that forms a fairly self-contained sequence in its own right.