1 Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Not marble nor the gilded monuments marble won't outlast it, nor golden tombs not even gilded monuments
2 Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme, The most famous claim of poetry's power to immortalize
Of princes shall outlive this powerful verse, of princes will last longer than my poem, surpass this powerful verse 'Powerful rhyme' = the force of poetry itself; verse outlasts the mightiest monuments of power.
3 But you shall shine more bright in these contents
But you shall shine more brightly in these words but you'll shine far brighter in these lines you'll shine brightest here 'These contents' = the words of the poem itself; the beloved's brilliance is concentrated in language.
4 Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.
Than neglected stone soiled by destructive time. than stone left to rot and waste away, more than stone dirtied by time 'Sluttish time' = time as a slovenly, messy force that dirties and ruins. Monuments degrade; verse stays pure.
5 When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
When devastating war shall topple statues, when war destroys the statues, when war destroys monuments 'Wasteful war' = war as consumption and destruction; it ruins even imperishable stone.
6 And broils root out the work of masonry,
And conflicts uproot the work of stonework, and battles tear down every stone building, battles destroy all stonework 'Broils' = conflicts, battles; 'masonry' = stonework. Even the most solid construction is vulnerable.
7 Nor Mars his sword, nor war’s quick fire shall burn:
Nor the sword of Mars nor war's swift fire shall burn neither the god of war nor flames can destroy neither war's sword nor fire burns 'Mars his sword' = the god of war's weapon; fire is war's agent of destruction. Yet verse escapes both.
8 The living record of your memory.
This living record of your memory. this undying record of who you are, the living memory of you 'Living record' oxymoron: poetry is 'living' (active, permanent) even as memory—what most material things lose.
Volta The volta shifts from celebrating poetry's superiority to physical monuments to a cosmic argument: poetry defeats not just time and war, but even death and oblivion.
9 ’Gainst death, and all-oblivious enmity
Against death and all-consuming oblivion, against death and the force of being forgotten, against death and forgetting 'All-oblivious enmity' = the hostile force of complete forgetfulness. Poetry stands against not just death but erasure.
10 Shall you pace forth, your praise shall still find room,
Shall you move forward, your praise shall still find room you'll march through time, forever praised, you'll move through time, always praised 'Pace forth' = move forward through time; 'still find room' = continually have a place in human minds.
11 Even in the eyes of all posterity
Even in the eyes of all generations, in the hearts and minds of all to come, in all future eyes
12 That wear this world out to the ending doom.
That wear this world out to the final judgment, until the very end of time itself, until the world ends 'Wear this world out' = consume/exhaust the world through time; 'ending doom' = apocalyptic final day, judgment day.
13 So till the judgement that yourself arise,
So until the judgment when you yourself arise, so until you rise on judgment day, until you rise on judgment day 'That yourself arise' = resurrection on judgment day; the beloved will outlive even in the next world.
14 You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes. The ultimate promise of poetry
You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes. you live in these words and in every lover's heart. you live in lovers' eyes The couplet's promise: the beloved has a double immortality—in the poem itself and in every reader's (every lover's) heart.