To me, fair friend, you can never be old - Shakespeare
IEB 2025
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold
Have from the forests shook three summers’ pride,
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turned
In process of the seasons have I seen,
Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burned,
Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green.
Ah, yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceived;
So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand,
Hath motion, and mine eye may be deceived:
For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred, -
Ere you were born was beauty’s summer dead.
, - The speaker begins with a direct address to a "fair
friend," emphasizing their eternal youth in his eyes.
- The phrase "you never can be old" conveys an unchanging
admiration and affection, suggesting that time cannot
diminish the friend’s beauty or essence.
- The repetition of "fair" underscores their physical or
To me, fair friend, you never moral attractiveness.
can be old, - The line uses hyperbole, as the claim of defying aging is
an exaggeration.
- The comma after "To me" introduces a pause,
personalizing the statement and inviting reflection.
- This punctuation subtly emphasizes the speaker's
subjective perspective, making it clear that this view
may not align with objective reality.
- This line reflects nostalgia, recalling the first moment
the speaker saw their friend's eyes.
- The phrase "first your eye I eyed" plays with the
repetition of "eye" as a subtle form of alliteration,
emphasizing the mutual act of seeing and being seen.
For as you were when first - The word order feels archaic, creating a poetic rhythm
your eye I eyed, and drawing attention to the importance of this initial
gaze.
- The line suggests the friend’s beauty has remained
constant.
- The absence of punctuation within the line creates a
flowing, continuous thought, highlighting the enduring
memory of this moment and its lasting impact on the
speaker.
- The speaker affirms that the friend’s beauty has not
faded, using "still" to suggest constancy and
timelessness.
- "Three winters cold" introduces a metaphor for the
passage of time, with winters representing hardship or
Such seems your beauty the starkness of aging.
still. Three winters cold - The alliteration of "s" in "such seems" and "still" adds a
lyrical quality, reinforcing the meditative tone.
- The full stop after "still" creates a pause, emphasizing
the finality and certainty of the statement.
- This punctuation allows the reader to absorb the
permanence of the friend's beauty before transitioning
to the imagery of seasonal cycles.
