An Epitaph on the Admirable Dramatic Poet W. Shakespeare
By John Milton
What needs my Shakespeare for his honored bones The labor of an age in piled stones? Or that his hallowed reliques should be hid Under a star-ypointing pyramid? Dear son of Memory, great heir of Fame, What need'st thou such weak witness of thy name? Thou in our wonder and astonishment Hast built thy self a livelong monument. For whilst, to th' shame of slow-endeavoring art, Thy easy numbers flow, and that each heart Hath from the leaves of thy unvalued book Those Delphic lines with deep impression took, Then thou, our fancy of itself bereaving, Dost make us marble with too much conceiving, And so sepulchred in such pomp dost lie That kings for such a tomb would wish to die.
AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.
About this line
"What needs my Shakespeare for his honored bones..."
This evocative piece by John Milton, titled "An Epitaph on the Admirable Dramatic Poet W. Shakespeare", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...