--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I do count the clock that tells the…" description: "\"“When I do count the clock that tells the time, And see the brave day sunk in hideous night; When I behold the violet past prime, And sable curls, all ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/william-shakespeare-4_12_when-i-do-count-the-clock-that-tells-the_283029.jpg" --- # When I do count the clock that tells the time, And see the… ![“When I do count the clock that tells the time, And see the brave day sunk in hideous night; When I behold the violet past prime, And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white; When lofty trees I see barren of leaves, Which erst from heat did canopy the herd, And summer's green all girded up in…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/william-shakespeare-4_12_when-i-do-count-the-clock-that-tells-the_283029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/william-shakespeare-4_12_when-i-do-count-the-clock-that-tells-the_283029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/william-shakespeare-4_12_when-i-do-count-the-clock-that-tells-the_283029.jpg) > ““When I do count the clock that tells the time, And see the brave day sunk in hideous night; When I behold the violet past prime, And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white; When lofty trees I see barren of leaves, Which erst from heat did canopy the herd, And summer's green all girded up in sheaves, Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard, Then of thy beauty do I question make, That thou among the wastes of time must go, Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake And die as fast as they see others grow; And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.”” [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. The poem reflects on the inevitability of aging and death, using natural imagery to illustrate time’s relentless erosion of beauty and life. **In simple terms:** Time erodes all beauty and life. Key Takeaway Accept mortality and cherish present moments. Themes mortality beauty time impermanence Mood melancholic reflective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - personal loss - aging - creative writing - philosophical discourse Key Concepts transience natural cycles philosophical reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront your own aging? - What can you preserve against time? 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