Nor Marbles, Nor Monuments: One-Shot Explanation

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Step 4. Pause the video whenever you want to jot down something (important points/doubts/questions). As this is an actual class going on, don't just hear the video; understand it and digest it.
Step 5. Get your doubts/questions resolved by posting them in the comments sections of this video. I always address and clear all the doubts/questions sent to me.
Step 6. The most important step: answer the Important Questions given below in this description box and get them evaluated by your teacher/tutor/anyone. In your examination, your answers will be evaluated for knowledge (content) and expression, and marks given accordingly. So, practise writing regularly.
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This class teaches you the following:
A. In-depth, line by line explanation of William Shakespeare’s sonnet, Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments (Sonnet 55) (Class X, CBSE, English Communicative Literature Reader)
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B. The poetic devices used in the sonnet.
Metaphor: Comparing poetry to something powerful and everlasting.
Enjambment:
1. Line 1 – ‘marble monuments’ – ‘m’ sound is repeated. Alliteration
2. Line 2 – ‘princes powerful’ – ‘p’ sound is repeated. Alliteration
3. Line 3 – ‘shall shine’ – ‘sh’ sound is repeated. Alliteration
4. Line 4 – ‘unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time’ – ‘s’ and ‘t’ sound repeated. Alliteration. Imagery.
5. Line 4 – “sluttish time”- The poet refers to time as being ‘sluttish’ which means that it is disloyal, untrustworthy, dirty and untidy. Personification
6. Line 5 – ‘when wasteful war’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated. Alliteration.
7. Line 5 – War is given the ability to “overturn”. Personification. Imagery.
8. Line 6 – Broils (conflicts) are given the ability to “root out.” Personification. Imagery.
9. Line 7 – Reference to Mars, the Roman god of war. Mythological Allusion.
10. Line 8 – “The living record of your memory” – Addressing this poetry as the living record. Metaphor.
11. Line 12 – ‘wear this world’ – ‘w’ sound is repeated. Alliteration
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C. Themes of the poem:
1. Immortality through Art
2. The Transience of Material Wealth and Human Achievements
3. The Power of Memory and Praise
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D. Rhyme Scheme:
Throughout: ABAB
Last: AA
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E. Tone:
Confident and Triumphant
Reverential
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F. Important questions based on the sonnet.
Important Questions
1. What is the significance of the phrase "Not marble, nor the gilded monuments"?
2. How does Shakespeare use metaphor in Sonnet 55 to convey the theme of immortality?
3. Analyze the personification of time in the sonnet.
4. What is the effect of the allusion to Mars in the sonnet?
5. How does the imagery of war and destruction in the sonnet enhance its themes?
6. Discuss the significance of the volta in Sonnet 55.
7. How does Shakespeare use contrast in Sonnet 55?
8. Examine the use of hyperbole in the sonnet and its impact.
9. How does the imagery of "unswept stone" and "sluttish time" contribute to the poem's meaning?
10. Analyse the significance of the phrase "the living record of your memory."

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May God bless you with success for all your efforts.
Sunil Bhasin ❤