Essay On Shakespeare's Sonnet Thirty

William Shakespeare’s legacy is carried on through many hip-hop artists and writers. Many elements in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are still widely used today in some of the most influential and impactful songs. Learning and absorbing Shakespeare can be difficult to understand while still young, but by making connections between Shakespeare and modern day music, it can make it a bit easier to comprehend and follow. J. Cole uses many elements in his song “Apparently” that were also included in Shakespeare’s sonnet thirty, but at the same time, there are a few differences in his music and lyrics, in comparison to Shakespeare’s writing.

Cole and Shakespeare share many things in common when comparing the use of rhetorical appeals and rhythm. In Shakespeare’s sonnet thirty, he uses a lot of rhyme which adds a beat and can make the text a little easier to understand when you speak or read in a musical/ lyrical format, which is similar to that of music. Music is one thing that many people like and can find fairly

easy to understand, so adding a beat may make Shakespeare’s writing a little bit easier to digest. The same goes for J.cole in his song “Apparently,” which uses rhyme consistently. This is obviously very common in music, which also can help for an easier understanding of the lyrics, and it adds a beat. Another common element between Shakespeare and Cole, is the use of pathos, a rhetorical appeal. Incorporating pathos into a work can make the audience or reader, really connect to the situation, character, or event being presented. For instance, going back to sonnet thirty, Shakespeare speaks about mistakes made throughout life and how hard it can be to have to think back on those times and digest the things one may have done throughout that lifetime. In J. Cole’s song “Apparently,” he sings about his life in fame and how awful and painful it is to have to address the mistakes he too has made in his life, and the consequences of them. He specifically talks about his mother, and how after leaving her to go party in New York City, her home gets foreclosed. There are many other elements both writers have in common, but those two are the most bold and consistent out of all the ones that can be found between Shakespeare and Cole.
On the contrary, there are some elements that Shakespeare and Cole do not share in common at all.

One of the most obvious things, is the diction. In Shakespeare’s sonnet thirty, the diction is very clean, and the language is very proper and elevated. In Cole’s song, “Apparently,” the diction is extremely explicit, and the language includes much slang. The diction can very much add to the emotion, mood, and tone. In the sonnet, one can pull a little more of a sad and regretful, tone and emotion. Whereas, in Cole’s song, one pulls a little bit more anger, impatience, and guilt, in regards to the emotion, tone, and mood. Another difference between both writers is length of the writing. The sonnet is very short and to the point, and Cole’s song is a little more lengthy. The reason being that the sonnet only shares one’s feelings about the topic being presented, whereas Cole’s song tells not only his feelings about the topic, but he also shares a story as

well.
Although writing has evolved drastically since Shakespeare’s time, there are many components that still remain since Shakespeare’s time. Hip-hop artist J. Cole shares many of those components, but puts his own spin on it, which is a major contributor as to why he is such a popular and influential artist. Making these connections in school is important, because it can help one better understand Shakespeare, recognize the evolution of writing, and see where some major writing components originated.