Again, “false” is repeated from line 4 emphasising this idea of females’ beauty being used as a deceit to men, as if they are not as innocent as they can appear to be. But this so-called conclusion of women does not seem to apply to this man which is an unfair precedent to set. “More bright…less false” is a parallel statement which provides evidence that this man possess superior qualities to that of women. “Gilding” means to beautify, this line is stating a metaphor that implies the addressee possesses the ability to enchant anyone with a look providing the man with a powerful nature to charm women.

‘Sonnet 60’ opens on imagery; the reader is being made to imagine a tide of waves moving against the shoreline. Feelings of relaxation and peace come to mind as the opening simile “Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,” (60.1) sets the warm tone of the poem in comparing the waves lapping against one another in a continuous motion to that of time passing by. ‘Sonnet 60’ is an iambic pentameter however includes trochees which interrupt the steady rhythm; perhaps this was the poet’s way of emphasising the waves crashing against the shoreline “Each changing” (60.3) as the waves are metaphorical for the passing of time. The metre adds to the notion of time being unpredictable in correspondence to waves. Line 2 “our minutes” (60.2) is a pun playing on the number of the sonnet as there are 60 minutes in an hour, the line associates the minutes of the day replacing one another to that of the waves replacing one another on the shoreline. A parallel is made with time and the waves, as like the waves, time is unstoppable and death is unavoidable. Each line within the first quatrain matches this idea of being in a consistent motion. For the shoreline to be “Pebbled” (60.1) brings forward an extended metaphor for life not being as easy-going as to have a sandy shoreline is much smoother in comparison. This may be done on purpose to personify time as cruel and destructive with the metaphorical image of the fast waves crashing against the shoreline.

Nativity, once in the main of light,