William Shakespeare's Sonnet 15

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 15

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 15

Time is a major theme throughout most of the 154 sonnets that William Shakespeare wrote. It is referred to variously as “ould Time” (Sonnet 19), “wastfull time” (Sonnet 15), “bloudie tyrant time” (Sonnet 16), “devouring time,” “swift-footed time,” Time's “cruell hand” (Sonnet 60), “Times sieth” (Sonnet 12, meaning time's scythe), “injurious hand” (Sonnet 63), “Ages cruell knife” (Sonnet 63), “Times theevish progresse” (Sonnet 77), “times spoiles” (Sonnet 100), “times tiranie” (Sonnet 115), and “fortie Winters” (Sonnet 2) indicating the passage of time.

It is important to note that Shakespeare's treatment of time is ...