Question

select the correct answer.
what is the meaning of the underlined phrase in the excerpt from sonnet 126 by william shakespeare?
o thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power
dost hold times fickle glass, his sickle, hour;
○ a. time is changeable and inconstant.
○ b. time and glass are eternal.
○ c. time is liable to break like glass.
○ d. time, like the glass or mirror, always reflects the truth

Explanation:

In Shakespeare's Sonnet 126, the phrase "Time's glass" is a metaphor. Time is often associated with change and movement (like the sand in an hour - glass). Option A aligns with the common literary interpretation of time as something that is always in flux. Option B is incorrect as time and glass are not eternal in the sense of the metaphor. Option C misinterprets the metaphor; it's not about physical breakage. Option D is also a misinterpretation; the metaphor is more about the passage and change of time rather than reflection.

Answer:

A. Time is changeable and inconstant.