Introduction to Sonnet 55 by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Sonnet 55 addresses such themes as the passage of time, the desire for fame, the lasting power of love, and the destructive capacity of mankind. In Sonnet 55, Shakespeare attempts to "immortalize" his beloved, by promising that he (the poem is likely addressed to a man) will remain famous until the end of time. People will remember the beloved because of Shakespeare poem. That seems like a great argument for why the beloved might return Shakespeare's love, but as we analyze this poem more closely we'll discover that perhaps Shakespeare's motives are ultimately more selfish ... This lesson is part of a series of tutorials on English literature: https://natureofwriting.com/courses/english-literature/lessons/william-shakespeare/topic/sonnet-55/ The Nature of Writing is a Youtube channel and website (https://www.natureofwriting.com) dedicated to the teaching of English literature and writing. To support this work, please visit our donate page: https://natureofwriting.com/donate/