Eric Vaughn Biber
Professor Mary Dudy Bjork
English 421
Essay 2
May 1, 2008
The Miracle of Poetry.
“Such ‘unnatural’ tendencies have an intimate relation to genius, and what we call ‘genius’ is, exactly, the awareness, and expression, of planes, or dimensions, beyond the biological and the temporal. That is why Shakespeare’s Sonnets are so deeply concerned with the problems of time, death and eternity” (Knight, 69-70). Maybe Shakespeare knew that true literary genius existed in the study of the relationship man has with death and certainty, so he pointed his writing in this direction for literary immortality. Maybe yet he was simply fascinated with death in general, and his genius shined through in his writing. Regardless of his motives, it is clear that Shakespeare was at some level fascinated with time and its overwhelming destructive powers. This fascination was evident in almost all of Shakespeare’s works, but most notably in his Sonnets. Not only did Shakespeare realize the fragility of life, but he found a way to overcome the universe’s inevitability with poetry. Although most of Shakespeare’s Sonnets are dedicated to a certain young youth, this dedication is only a front to carry on one of Shakespeare’s greatest concerns; the certainty of time and death. With the use of the written word, Shakespeare found a way to overcome the power of time and immortalize all that he loved, whomever and whatever that may be, inside the power of his ink.
When examining the presence of time and certainty in Shakespeare’s Sonnets, the best place to begin is with Sonnet 18. This is by far one of Shakespeare’s most famous Sonnets, and probably his most misunderstood by the common reader. Though this Sonnet seems to be a simple love poem on the...
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... considered the first of the “procreation” Sonnets directed to the fair young youth, a deeper look at Sonnet 1 reveals evidence of Shakespeare’s uncanny ability to understand the nature of the universe.
From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory: (1.1-4)
“The rose embodies only the perfect moment that intervenes between fulfillment and decay. Describing it, Shakespeare makes no attempt to speak in a biographical voice, or that of a dramatically defined persona. It is simply “we” who speak, as the voice of a consensus, and our desire for preserving the flower’s beauty is no less natural than its coming decline. Such a confluence, using “we” to unite temporarily speaker, reader, and the ordinary world, has a justification of its own” (Weiser, 3).
In countries all over the globe the name William Shakespeare brings to mind literary genius, a character so famed in eloquence and creativity that none other comes close to him in prestige. Yet for centuries scholars, students and readers have argued a very fundamental question: whether or not the plays and poems attribute to William...
Willen, Gerald and Victor B. Reed, eds. A Casebook on Shakespeare’s Sonnets. New York: Crowell, 1964.
Fiedler, Leslie A. "Some Contexts of Shakespeare's Sonnets." The Riddle of Shakespeare's Sonnets. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1962.
By telescoping the various metaphors of autumn, twilight, and ashes in "Sonnet 73, " Shakespeare portrays the ending of time. His systematic representation of familiar concepts as symbols of time passage and models of life creates three individual paralleled sonnets that join at the poem’s conclusion to form a collaborated theme (Bloom 12).
Shakespeare asserts “From fairest creatures we desire increase, that thereby beauty’s rose might never die, . . his tender heir might bear his memory.” Shakespeare is trying to convince the addressee to have children so that his beauty will live on. Sonnet XVIII ends with Shakespeare writing that “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and gives life to thee.” The last couplet of Sonnet XVII says, “But were some child of your alive that time, you should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.” The subject’s beauty and memory will continue to exist in the world through Shakespeare’s writing and if he has
Shakespeare’s dramatic theatre performances have long endured the test of time. His tales of love and loss, and even some history, make a reader think about events in their own life and what they wish to accomplish in life. Though written for the stage, Shakespeare’s plays have life lessons that readers of the great works can take put into effect in their own lives. Some may say that his plays are out dated, and are something of the past; though they were written in the 1600’s, they have morals and themes that can apply to life. “You've got to contend with versification, poetic license, archaisms, words that we don't even use any more, and grammar and spelling that were in a state of flux when the works were written,” says Pressley in an attempt to explain how to read Shakespeare. Once read and understood, however, one can start to compare and contrast different plays. The ways in which Shakespeare’s two plays King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing are similar out numbers the instances they are different, even though one is a Shakespearian tragedy while the other is a comedy.
...r creator, and researchers have attempted to identify the persons who were the original or historical models for the persons the speaker refers to and addresses. The fact remains, however, that we do not know to what degree Shakespeare's personal experiences are reflected in his sonnets; nor do we know with any measure of certainty whether the persons depicted in these poems are based on specific individuals or are solely the product of Shakespeare's observation, imagination, and understanding of the human heart.
As each day goes by the beauty of our vibrant youth decays and diminishes. In "Sonnet 15" Shakespeare refers to youth as life at its peak, however this precious point in our life is short-lived. Shakespeare speaks of youth as a single moment of perfection. He glorifies youth and alleges to immortalize it through his poetic words. He uses metaphors, imagery, and rhyme in a way to enhance the beauty and perfection of mans youth while in its prime. Through this he demonstrate the love and richness of youth despite the tole time takes on it.
The impeccable style and craft of Shakespeare’s writing has always been looked upon with great respect, and it continues to serve as an inspiration to writers and thinkers today even as it did when it was being first performed in London. Shakespeare’s modern audience, however, is far less diverse than the one for which he originally wrote. Due to the antiquity of his language, Shakespeare’s modern readership consists mostly of students and intellectuals, whereas in Shakespeare’s own time, his plays were performed in playhouses packed with everyone from royalty to peasants. Because of this, Shakespeare was forced to write on many different levels, the most sophisticated of which appealed to his more elite audience members, while the more straightforward and often more crude of which appealed to his less educated viewers, and the most universal of which still appeals to us.
“Sonnet 73,” published by William Shakespeare in 1609, reveals through symbolic imagery and metaphors mans promised fate, death. The theme of “Sonnet 73” is that, as life draws to an end, it becomes more valued. In a melancholy mood, the narrator concedes that many years have passed by and that the end of his life draws ever near. He reflects through imagery, and with a sense of self-pity, the loss of his youth and passion to the ravages of time. In this essay I will detail the use of symbolic imagery and metaphors in “Sonnet 73” and how it portrays the author’s experience of aging.
While Shakespeare and Spenser have their own sonnet forms and different rhyme schemes, the topics in which they write about in “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 75” possess many similarities. A major theme in both of the sonnets is the idea of immortal love. Both sonnets straightforwardly mention the idea of love eternalizing, defying all of time, and conquering all obstacles. Spenser unmistakably mentions that “whenas death shall al the world subdue, our love shall live, and later life renew”. Correspondingly, Shakespeare declares that his and the subject’s love “shall not fade,” but continue to grow. When it comes to a matter of love defying time, both sonnets remain in synchronization, expressing that even with death, love will go on and remain forever, through poetry and memory. Spenser conveys his lover as one who “shall live by fame”, because through “[his] verse [her] virtues rare shall eternalize”. Evidently, Shakespeare believes that as history writes itself, he and his subject’s love will become one with time because “when in et...
readers’ attention to the specific language and stresses the idea of the physical force of time. It further suggests via its rhythmic sound.... ... middle of paper ... ... Shakespeare uses the combination of time and beauty to come to the realisation about, and as a means to inspect and experiment with his.
One of the most famous poets and writers of all time was William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was best known for his 154 different sonnets. In each sonnet, he usually asked a question in the first line for the reader to think about. For example, in Sonnet 18, the poem’s first line is “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” As you continue to read the sonnet he answers the question more in depth. This sonnet is also believed to have been written about Shakespeare’s late son. Through the use of metaphors, personification, and repetition in Sonnet 18, William Shakespeare concludes that his lover’s beauty is eternal and will never run out.
Time is a powerful thing. It controls when and how a person will go about their life. Being a manmade concept, there is still an Earth made idea that stands behind it. There is nothing that can escape the powers of time. Man has tried to become the master of time, but this always leads to a frivolous end. For Shakespeare in Sonnet 65, time is a destroyer and a villain. How can one expect to keep something delicate, safe from time when strong earthly things are destroyed by it? The poet grapples with this idea as he tries to find a way to keep the beauty of his beloved safe from the ravenous mortality. Through the villainous characterizations of mortality and Time, Shakespeare presents a sorrowful portrayal of one man trying to stand against
William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 has always been one of my favorite works because of the value he places on love. Although I have read this sonnet many times before, I was glad to see that it was a topic of discussion this semester because I wanted to gain a further understanding of this particular sonnet. This sonnet comes in stark contrast to the first 15 sonnets where Shakespeare insists that the young man should not be wasting away his beauty. Lines such as “Profitless usurer, why dost thou use”, and “For having traffic with thyself alone” (lines 7 and 8) from sonnet 4 suggest a lot about the young man. In an era where getting married and having children at an early age was expected, the young man seems to be doing neither. Rather, as these lines suggest, he is being selfish with his own beauty. Because of this, in the first 15 sonnets Shakespeare is pleading with the young man to preserve his beauty by having