In Sonnet 55, Shakespeare writes to a friend about how much he loves him/her.
The poem that Shakespeare is writing, he says, will immortalize his friend, making him/her live forever. Shakespeare says that the poem will outlive monuments, which can crumble over time. Neither time nor war can destroy "the living record of your memory" -- this poem and the memories of you.
At the end of the poem, the friend rises on the day of judgement. At that time, his friend will realize how much Shakespeare has loved him/her and how Shakespeare gave him/her immortality through this poem.
