"So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee" --Explain. Or, How does the poet make his friend immortal?

Ans: These two lines belong to Shakespeare’s Sonnet No-18 which is a sincere tribute by the poet to the eternal beauty of his friend. The poet realizes that every natural object that may have extraordinary beauty is subjected to decay or end. The powerful impact of 'Time' will spare nothing even summer, spring's beautiful bud or sun's brightness. This very thought is certainly painful, but the poet has no feelings of dismay because his friend will remain beyond the clutch of death as he has firm faith in the power of his poetry to immortalize its subjects. He believes that As long as men exist in the world, his poem will also exist, and it is the spell of his poem which will immortalize his friend even after his death.