Extra Questions on 'Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments (Sonnet 55)'

                                    Short Answer Type Questions

1.     What is the theme of the poem "Not Marble Nor the Gilded Monuments"?

Ans. The poet pays tribute to the poetry created by him. He also highlights his love for his friends and         the power of verses which will last for ever. He is confident that the praise of his friends in his             verses will last forever.

2.     In what way is the poet stronger than powerful rulers?

Ans. The monuments of the kings will be destroyed by war. With the passage of time they will be               covered by dust or ravaged with time. But the poet's work (poetry) will last for posterity. Time             cannot destroy his creation.

3.     Why is war called wasteful?

Ans. The war is called wasteful because it destroys the monuments. It causes a lot of destruction of             life and property. Nobody gains anything by war. People die, women become widows, the                   economy of the country shatters.

4.     How will the poet's friend dwell in lover's eyes?

Ans. The poet immortalizes his friend by stating that his friend shall live forever in this sonnet and in         the eyes of future generations. Also, this poem will wear out this world till the judgement day             and outlive it. Everything will be destroyed except for the poet's verses.

5.     Describe how the monuments and statues bear the ravages of time.

Ans. Monuments and statues brave the ravages of time in various ways. They withstand the vagaries           of nature and get somewhat tarnished in the process. Some of them may survive for a few                   thousand years. While doing so, these monuments often tell us about their glorious days.

                                                Long Answer Type Questions

1.     The materialistic thing do not last forever. What lasts is our good behaviour and the values we             posses. Elaborate.

Ans. Materialistic things are temporary. They do not last forever. The kings and the rich monarchs get          statues and big domes erected in their memory, a sign of their power and strength but everything          is ravaged by time . Our posterity may not remember us for the money passed on to them but              for the values we made them learn. All the guided monuments and memorials fall to decay                  because of utter neglect. They fall to dust as they are unable to meet the utter destruction of                  time. Money and riches will not be there for ever but the love of our loved ones will never die              and it will remain with s for ever.  

2.     What quality of the work of the author is reflected in this poem?

Ans. The poem written by the poet will last forever. It will not be destroyed by time. Within his                   verses his friends will live forever. It will be remembered till posterity. Even the godly powers of         the god of war will not be able to destroy it. It will survive in the hearts of its lovers. In this                 ways, the poet is quite sure of the immortality of his poetry

        The poet's extreme optimism and deep faith in the power of love is revealed in these lines. The           poet believes that not only natural forces but human wars and battles cannot blot out his sonnets,         which are a "living record" of the youth. The poet assures his friend that his beauty will remain           immortal as long as one single person still lives to read these sonnets, which themselves will be           immortal.  

3.     Why does the poet refer to 'time' as being sluttish?

Ans. In this case, the poet is referring to the tarnishing effect which time can have on many things.             For example; what once may have been a magnificant monument is no more than ruins; in the             name of some of the famous historical monuments. Time has been personified as a women with           loose character a slut who is not faithful to anyone. Time is also sluttish as he destroys                         everything. It is not loyal to anyone. It keeps changes. It is good for someone one day and bad             for others but it would not remain the same for ever. It keeps changing for people. It never                   remains the same.

4.     What is the theme of the sonnet 'Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments ?

Ans. Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 55' deals with the idea that the subject of poetry or poet's friend will be             made immortal in these verses, though everything else will be lost through war, sluttish time or           other violent forces.Shakespeare elevates poetry as superior, and the only assurance of                         immortality in this world but lowers this particular sonnet itself as being unworthy of his                     subject. Thus, the theme is that everything will be destroyed and forgotten except the subject,             who will be praised forever. The subject according to the poet has lent magnificence to the                   verses. Shakespeare calls time and war as two destructive forces. The soul of the poem, is the             subject only. The poet wants to keep the youth's reputation and memory alive until Doomsday.             The poet here wants to say that his poetry is a piece of art and as Keats has said, "A thing of                 beauty is a joy forever", his poetry will be shining forever.