Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st; So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

The verse tells its subject that death cannot boast of claiming them, because they grow within lasting lines. As long as people live to breathe and see, the poem will endure, and by being read it keeps the beloved alive.

Context reviewed 29 September 2026