--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When forty winters shall besiege thy brow…" description: "\"“When forty winters shall besiege thy brow And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field, Thy youth’s proud livery, so gaz’d on now, Will be a tatter’d w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_when-forty-winters-shall-besiege-thy-bro_1341548.jpg" --- # When forty winters shall besiege thy brow And dig deep… ![“When forty winters shall besiege thy brow And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field, Thy youth’s proud livery, so gaz’d on now, Will be a tatter’d weed, of small worth held: Then being ask’d, where all thy beauty lies, Where all the treasure of thy lusty days, To say, within thine own…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_when-forty-winters-shall-besiege-thy-bro_1341548.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_when-forty-winters-shall-besiege-thy-bro_1341548.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e9/william-shakespeare-4_beauty_when-forty-winters-shall-besiege-thy-bro_1341548.jpg) > ““When forty winters shall besiege thy brow And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field, Thy youth’s proud livery, so gaz’d on now, Will be a tatter’d weed, of small worth held: Then being ask’d, where all thy beauty lies, Where all the treasure of thy lusty days, To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes, Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise. How much more praise deserv’d thy beauty’s use, If thou couldst answer ‘This fair child of mine Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse,’ Proving his beauty by succession thine! This were to be new made when thou art old, And see thy blood warm when thou feel’st it cold.”” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reflection on aging, urging that legacy and progeny give lasting value to youthful beauty. **In simple terms:** Aging loses beauty; children preserve it. Key Takeaway Cultivate lasting impact beyond youth. Themes aging legacy beauty inheritance Mood melancholic reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - family planning - mentorship - personal legacy Key Concepts mortality succession meaning Questions to Reflect On - How will you ensure your influence endures? - What non‑biological ways can you create lasting value? A Different Perspective Legacy depends on others; not all can have children. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Dig deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dig-deep/) [Thou art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-art/) [Thou Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-feel-3496970/) [Thy Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-beauty-1357517/) [Thy Brow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-brow-4534106/) [Thy Lusty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-lusty-4534105/) [Treasure Thy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure-thy-2424684/) ## Related quotes > [You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain Kate, And bonny Kate and sometimes Kate the curst; But Kate, the prettiest Kate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/you-lie-in-faith-for-you-are-call-d-plain-kate-and-bonny-kate-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Poet of Nature, thou hast wept to know That things depart which never may return: Childhood and youth, friendship and love's first glow, Have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/poet-of-nature-thou-hast-wept-to-know-that-things-depart-which-never/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [“Love by the sweat of thy brow. 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It is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/you-dig-deeper-and-it-gets-more-and-more-complicated-and-you-get/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [I like characters with problems. I like to understand them... To play alcoholics, fetishists, strange girls, you have to dig deep within yourself. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-trintignant/i-like-characters-with-problems-i-like-to-understand-them-to-play/) [Marie Trintignant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-trintignant/) > [Folks may not be familiar with Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, but they live with the effects of PBMs almost every time they go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-tuberville/folks-may-not-be-familiar-with-pharmacy-benefit-managers-or-pbms-but/) [Tommy Tuberville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-tuberville/) > [Go get your shovel and we'll dig a deep hole. 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That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. 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