The Problem (Time & Decay)
What happens to all beauty over time in the poem?
It declines
What are “eternal lines” referring to?
The Poem
Finish: “So long lives this…”
“and this gives life to thee”
What causes beauty to fade, chance or nature?
Both/either (chance or nature’s course)
What does poetry give the subject?
Lasting life / immortality
What does the line “So long lives this, and this gives life to thee” suggest about poetry?
It gives lasting life / preserves beauty
Why is poetry more powerful than time?
It preserves beauty permanently
What is Shakespeare ultimately claiming in the final couplet?
Poetry makes the subject immortal