1 English Literature Test Shakespeare the Poet-Read and analyse these poems XII - WHEN I DO COUNT THE CLOCK THAT TELLS THE TIME translation help When I 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; sable curls= riccioli neri When lofty trees I see barren of leaves, lofty trees= alberi sublimi Which erst from heat did canopy the herd, transl che proteggevano il gregge dalla calura And summer's green all girded up in sheaves, transl il verde dell'estate stretto in covoni Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard, transl portato sul carro Then of thy beauty I question make, That thou among the wastes of time must go, Since sweets and beauties themselves forsake forsake= qui si smarriscono 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 hence= da qua erst formerly breed prole PART ONE- ANALYSIS OF SONNET XII 1.Write down the sonnet's rhyme scheme _ 2.How many stanzas is the sonnet divided into? _ 3.Summarize the main subjects in these stanzas: 1st quatrain _ 2nd quatrain _ 3rd quatrain final couplet In lines 1-8 a number of changes in nature happen because of the passing of time Complete the table: NATURAL ELEMENTS EFFECTS OF TIME Brave day Sunk in hideous night What metaphor is used to talk about Time? In which lines can you find the word " Time" ? PART 2-Now analyze this sonnet: What is it about? How does the poet refer to Time? How is it powerful? How does the poet end his sonnet? What is the role of poetry? What are the consequences of time on the lover's face? Where you find the turning point? Write a personal comment bearing in mind the structure of the Elizabethan sonnet and the main themes presented by the poet WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Maximum number of lines 15 XIX Your notes and comment Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws, And make the earth devour her own sweet brood; Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws, And burn the long-liv'd phoenix, in her blood; Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets, And whate'er thou wilt, swift-footed Time, To the wide world and all her fading sweets; But I forbid thee one most heinous crime: O! carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow, Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen; Him in thy course untainted allow For beauty's pattern to succeeding men Yet, thy worst old Time: despite thy wrong, My love shall in my verse ever live young _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _