- Year Published: 1609
- Language: English
- Country of Origin: England
- Source: Shakespeare, W. The sonnets. In R. G. White (Ed.), The complete works of William Shakespeare. New York: Sully and Kleinteich.
- Flesch–Kincaid Level: 11.0
- Word Count: 131
Shakespeare, W. (1609). Sonnet 12. The Sonnets (Lit2Go Edition). Retrieved May 28, 2016, from
Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 12." The Sonnets. Lit2Go Edition. 1609. Web. <>. May 28, 2016.
William Shakespeare, "Sonnet 12," The Sonnets, Lit2Go Edition, (1609), accessed May 28, 2016,.
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.