Question

What is the central idea of the third quatrain?

If you see my love aging, work against it.
Do not be lazy; we are all running out of time.
Make fun of time, and turn people against it.
Write something to ridicule my love’s wrinkles

Answer 1

The central idea of the third quatrain is a call to action against the inevitability of aging. The speaker urges the addressee to actively combat the signs of time and aging in their beloved, emphasizing the importance of creativity and humor as tools to resist and undermine the effects of time. The suggestion to ridicule aging and "write something to ridicule my love’s wrinkles" reveals a desire to address and confront the passage of time in a light-hearted, defiant manner. Overall, it reflects a deep concern for the beloved's fading beauty and the urgency to cherish and preserve that beauty against the relentless march of time.