When the speaker in William Shakespeare's sonnet 55 mentions this powerful rhyme he is referring to?

Answer 1

On a primary level he is talking about the poem which he is writing and you're reading - early element of postmodernism perhaps :) He is also talking about the poetic form generally, implying that nothing, even marble or monuments can outlive the poetic form. People, concepts and objects can be immortalised in verse with more longevity and impact than anything constructed out of material.

Answer 2

The speaker in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 55 is referring to the poem itself as a powerful rhyme that will immortalize the subject's beauty for eternity. The speaker suggests that as long as people are able to read, the poem will continue to preserve the memory of the subject's beauty.

Answer 3

He's referring to the sonnet. The speaker is saying that neither the marble or the gilded monuments will outlive the sonnet. He's implying that since the memory of whoever he is talking to will live within the sonnet.

Answer 4

He is referring to the sonnet / poem itself.