Read the sonnet. Sonnet XII

by William Shakespeare

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.

Part A

What can be inferred about Shakespeare's "Sonnet XII"?

The narrator is weary about the change in seasons.

The narrator believes that no one can avoid death.

The narrator believes that life is beautiful.

The narrator is old and thinks he will die soon.

Part B

Which line from the sonnet best supports the answer in Part A?

"And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence"

"And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;"

"Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake"

"And summer's green all girded up in sheaves"