All five sonnets analyzed, including sonnets from Lady Mary Wroth, Petrarch, and Shakespeare, revolve around romance and sexuality. For example, Wroth’s sonnet 22 revolves around her devotion and focus on love. In lines 1-3, Wroth uses a simile comparing Indians accustomed to the sun’s heat to her abstract idea that she is accustomed to being in love (Wroth 1-3). Petrarch’s sonnet 90, on the other hand, focuses on unrequited love, a love that, while the narrator metaphorically had “love’s tinder in [their] breast unburned,” the narrator later realizes that the love interest doesn’t feel the same way (Petrarch 7-14). The remaining three sonnets by Shakespeare present three different perspectives on love. Sonnet 20 discusses Shakespeare’s feminine …show more content…
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the image of ideal beauty did not include the color black: black hair, black eyes, or black clothes. This sonnet personifies the color black and the narrator explains throughout the sonnet that, while many don’t view this color as beautiful, the narrator appreciates and adores the color (Shakespeare Sonnet 127 1-14). The narrator also expresses the beauty of his mistress’ eyes, which are “raven black,” as a counterargument to the idea that black isn’t a beautiful color (Shakespeare Sonnet 127 9-10). Additionally, the narrator takes a jab at the mainstream public in lines 11-14 of the sonnet, especially in lines 11-12. Lines 11-12 criticize people that were “not born fair,” or people that are not conventionally beautiful, that can cover their faces with makeup (Shakespeare Sonnet 127 11-12). Shakespeare criticizes these people by claiming they slander people, or ‘God’s creation,’ “with false esteem” (Shakespeare Sonnet 12711-12). With the use of clever word choice and rhyming iambic pentameter, the narrator contradicts the popular belief that black isn’t
When he writes "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she, belied with false compare." (lines 13-14) in the final couplet, one responds with an enlightened appreciation, making them understand Shakespeare's message that true love consists of something deeper than physical beauty. Shakespeare expresses his ideas in a wonderful fashion. Not only does he express himself through direct interpretation of his sonnet, but also through the levels at which he styled and produced it. One cannot help but appreciate his message of true love over lust, along with his creative criticism of Petrarchan sonnets.
Shakespeare’s sonnets include love, the danger of lust and love, difference between real beauty and clichéd beauty, the significance of time, life and death and other natural symbols such as, star, weather and so on. Among the sonnets, I found two sonnets are more interesting that show Shakespeare’s love for his addressee. The first sonnet is about the handsome young man, where William Shakespeare elucidated about his boundless love for him and that is sonnet 116. The poem explains about the lovers who have come to each other freely and entered into a relationship based on trust and understanding. The first four lines reveal the poet’s love towards his lover that is constant and strong and will not change if there any alternation comes. Next four lines explain about his love which is not breakable or shaken by the storm and that love can guide others as an example of true love but that extent of love cannot be measured or calculated. The remaining lines of the third quatrain refer the natural love which can’t be affected by anything throughout the time (it can also mean to death). In the last couplet, if
William Shakespeare’s sonnets are renowned as some of the greatest poetry ever written. He wrote a total of 154 sonnets that were published in 1609. Shakespearean sonnets consider similar themes including love, beauty, and the passing of time. In particular, William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 75 and Sonnet 116 portray the theme of love through aspects of their form and their display of metaphors and similes. While both of these sonnets depict the theme of love, they have significantly contrasting ideas about the same theme.
Daniel wrote a conventional love sonnet using the traditional Petrarchan style of putting the idea of love, or the mistress, on a pedestal. Shakespeare turned these ideas on their heads by portraying a mistress who was by no means special and most certainly unappealing. By comparing Daniel's “Sonnet 6” and Shakespeare's “Sonnet 130,” one may quickly conclude that Daniel’ s and Shakespeare’s ideas of the perfect lady and of love differ greatly..
Two hundred years had passed between the sonnets of Petrarch and the reign of Queen Elizabeth. As a form and structure for poetic life, the sonnet had grown hard. Fourteen lines of rhymed iambic pentameter remained pregnant with possibilities and vitality, but must the sense turn after the octave and resolve in the sestet? Love remained in some ways inexpressible without this basic verse form, but something wasn’t right. Too many rose red lips and too much snow white skin belonging to unattainable lovers did not communicate the prevailing amorous imagination. The conventions were a little too conventional. The metaphors were gone somewhat stale.
Shakespeare describes the woman as being completely gruesome and nauseating. As I read I am persuaded that the sonnet is going to end very tragic, or even at a sudden stop, but this was not the case. In line 13 of this 14 line poem, there is a very drastic turn where William Shakespeare proclaims that he loves this woman. He says, “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare.” We think that he is disgusted with this woman’s appearance, but he actually loves her.
Paper 1-Literary Explication When one thinks of a sonnet about love, one thinks of beautiful description of the speaker’s lover or a lovely illustration about love in a general sense. Love poems contains emphasis on emotional and imaginative spontaneity as oppose to “Sonnet 130” that compares the speaker’s lover in a decretory sense. In “Sonnet 130- My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun..." by William Shakespeare is a parody of love poetry; love is not always like it is presented in other contemporize poems. Someone doesn’t need to be beautiful to be loved.
Although William Shakespeare’s sonnets are generally considered to be among the most beautiful and most powerful poems in the English literature (enotes), this is one of Shakespeare’s most famous, he plays an elaborate joke on the conventions of love poetry, and it is so well-conceived that the joke remains funny today (sparknotes). As I read the sonnet looking at the theme, imagery, and the diction I noticed this particular sonnet ties in with all three almost identically. In this sonnet, Shakespeare will talk about his mistress in a remarkably negative way. But at the end, he loves her and their love is “rare”.
In “Sonnet XVII,” the text begins by expressing the ways in which the narrator does not love, superficially. The narrator is captivated by his object of affection, and her inner beauty is of the upmost significance. The poem shows the narrator’s utter helplessness and vulnerability because it is characterized by raw emotions rather than logic. It then sculpts the image that the love created is so personal that the narrator is alone in his enchantment. Therefore, he is ultimately isolated because no one can fathom the love he is encountering. The narrator unveils his private thoughts, leaving him exposed and susceptible to ridicule and speculation. However, as the sonnet advances toward an end, it displays the true heartfelt description of love and finally shows how two people unite as one in an overwhelming intimacy.
Shakespeare’ sonnets are on a variety of themes such as time, love, gender, politics, sexuality, law, methaphysics and many others. They express strong feelings and strong arguments. However shakespeare struggle with love and lust is evident in his sonnets. Troughout the reading of Shakespeare’ sonnets I can persieve that he is a profound admirer of beuty; and he persieves beuty of different ways. There are some kinds of beuty that he considers good for his spirit, and others that he considers bad or evil for his spirit. The beuty of the sun, earth, and sea for example are good for shakespeare; On the other hand the beuty of women is evil for him, because it persuades him to act with lust. Here initiates the dilema that causes the struggle he has with love ans lust.
Therefore, because William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” and Edmund Spenser’s “Sonnet 75” share the idea that love is sincere and eternal, they can be looked upon as similar in theme. However, although similar in theme, Shakespeare’s intent is portraying the true everlasting beauty of his love, which is already achieved, whereas Spenser concentrates more on trying to entice his desired love, remaining optimistic throughout the entire poem.
At the time of its writing, Shakespeare's one hundred thirtieth sonnet, a highly candid, simple work, introduced a new era of poems. Shakespeare's expression of love was far different from traditional sonnets in the early 1600s, in which poets highly praised their loved ones with sweet words. Instead, Shakespeare satirizes the tradition of comparing one's beloved to the beauties of the sun. From its opening phrase "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun", shocks the audience because it does not portray a soft, beautiful woman. Despite the negative connotations of his mistress, Shakespeare speaks a true woman and true love. The sonnet is a "how-to" guide to love.
Lackluster love is the subject postulated in both sonnets, Petrarch 90 and Shakespeare 130. This is a love that endures even after beauteous love has worn off, or in Petrarch, a love that never was. The Petrarchan sonnet utilizes fantasy to describe love. It depicts love that is exaggerated and unrealistic. Shakespeare’s sonnet, on the other hand, is very sarcastic but it is more realistic as compared to the Petrarch 90. Petrarchan sonnets, also called Italian sonnets were the first sonnets to be written, and they have remained the most common sonnets (Hollander 28). They were named after the Italian poet Petrarch. Its structure takes the form of two stanzas, the first one an octave, in that, it has eight lines, and the next stanza is a sestet, meaning that it has six lines. The rhyme scheme suits the Italian language, which has the feature of being rhyme rich, and it, can take the forms of abbaabba, cdcdcd, or cdecde. These sonnets present an answerable charge in the first stanza, and a turn in the sestet. The sestet is the counter argument of the octave.
Steele, Felicia Jean. "Shakespeare's SONNET 130." Explicator 62.3 (2004): 132-137. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Almost four hundred years after his death, William Shakespeare's work continues to live on through his readers. He provides them with vivid images of what love was like during the 1600's. Shakespeare put virtually indescribable feelings into beautiful words that fit the specific form of the sonnet. He wrote 154 sonnets; all of which discuss some stage or feature of love. Love was the common theme during the time Shakespeare was writing. However, Shakespeare wrote about it in such a way that captivated his reader and made them want to apply his words to their romances. What readers do not realize while they compare his sonnets to their real life relationships is that Shakespeare was continually defying the conventions of courtly love in his writings.