When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced The rich…
“When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced The rich proud cost of outworn buried age; When sometime lofty towers I see down-razed And brass eternal slave to mortal rage; When I have seen the hungry ocean gain Advantage on the kingdom of the shore, And the firm soil win of the watery main, Increasing store with loss and loss with store; When I have seen such interchange of state, Or state itself confounded to decay; Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate, That Time will come and take my love away. This thought is as a death which cannot choose But weep to have that which it fears to lose.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Time erodes all, showing that wealth, power, and life are fleeting; we must accept impermanence and cherish love while it lasts.
In simple terms: All things change and fade.
Key Takeaway
Embrace love now, before it’s gone.
Themes
impermanence
love
time
mortality
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- relationships
- legacy planning
- grief counseling
- artistic creation
- historical study
Key Concepts
philosophy
poetry
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance acceptance of change with hope?
- What moments of love feel most urgent to you?
A Different Perspective
It may romanticize loss, ignoring resilience.