Sonnet 123: No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change

William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)



No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change.
Thy pyramids built up with newer might
To me are nothing novel, nothing strange;
They are but dressings of a former sight.
Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,
And rather make them born to our desire
Than think that we before have heard them told.
Thy registers and thee I both defy,
Not wond'ring at the present, nor the past,
For thy records, and what we see doth lie,
Made more or less by thy continual haste:
    This I do vow and this shall ever be:
    I will be true despite thy scythe and thee.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 28, 2023

35 sec read
138

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCDEDFGFHII
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 596
Words 118
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". more…

All William Shakespeare poems | William Shakespeare Books

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    "Sonnet 123: No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/41423/sonnet-123:-no,-time,-thou-shalt-not-boast-that-i-do-change>.

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    How many sonnets did William Shakespeare wrote during his life?
    A 101
    B 5
    C 154
    D 2