Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 55” expresses the importance of memories. When we think of memories we don’t picture something physical in front of us; we see a thought passing through our mind. By comparing memories to seemingly unbreakable things, Shakespeare forces the reader to recognize their longevity. The poet first compares human memories to simple physical objects and then compares them to spiritual things. The sonnet begins by comparing tough, sturdy objects to poetry. Even though …showed first 75 words of 373 total…

…showed last 75 words of 373 total…poem, Shakespeare is able to broaden the reader’s idea of what a memory is and how it will live on while everything else dies. Shakespeare uses powerful arguments to convince the reader that words written on paper can be “stronger” than the greatest statues or pagan gods. While anything physical can be broken through time or war, something that is not affected by either, such as verse, will always remain the same. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**