In Shakespeare’s 60th sonnet, he describes the wrath of time on the life of a person and how it effects someone both positively and negatively as they go through growth and decay. Shakespeare uses the personification of time and the metaphor of light and darkness to show how time can alter a person throughout their growth. Shakespeare wrote this sonnet to a dear friend, but it can be applied to all people everywhere, but he offers hope for his friend that he will be able to write him into history through his poems and beat time. Shakespeare begins the sonnet with the first part of a simile that states, “Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore.” The use of “waves” suggests a never-ending repetition because waves are constantly crashing …show more content…
upon the shore. The description of the shore as “pebbled” suggests that it is this vastness of small unimportant objects. In line 2, Shakespeare connects the first half of the simile to the next when he writes, “So do our minutes hasten to their end.” The personification of “minutes” that “hasten to their end” suggests a feeling that our minutes are like the “pebbled shore,” vast and nearly insurmountable and to the human mind such a large amount of objects is unfathomable to comprehend.
The portrayal “minutes” which “hasten to their end” may also suggest that time gives a fair amount of effort to finish and push to the next minute, and this can also be related to the fact that “waves” are also in a hurry to reach the shore and disappear to make room for the next. Shakespeare continues his metaphor of repitition into line 3 where he states that our “minutes” are “Each changing with that which goes before” suggesting that they are like “waves” constantly replacing the one “which went before it.” Shakespeare’s …show more content…
personification of “minutes” can also suggest that they have an end, however, unlike a person time has an infinite amount of minutes. In fact, a person is comparable to the minutes of time each replacing the one that went before. Shakespeare ends the first quatrain by describing minutes to be “In sequent toil all forwards do contend.” The two key words in this line are “toil” and “contend” because they combine to suggest that time is working extremely hard to put up a fight and continually go forth relentlessly no matter the circumstance. Shakespeare begins line 5 with a metaphor of light when he perceives that a person in the earliest stage of life is in “Nativity, once in the main of light” suggesting that a baby, which is inferred by the use of “nativity”, is in full exposure to light. This light symbolizes growth, youth and beauty that we contribute to being young and moving relentlessly like “waves” to maturity. Shakespeare believes that a person at a certain point “Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crowned.” This image of crawling suggests a connotation of old age, but it does not mean that the growth and prosperity has vanished, but it has simply been diminished. The idea of being “crowned” suggests a climax in life and Shakespeare is trying to convey that once a person reaches maturity, they are “crowned” and have reached their prime only to decline from there. Shakespeare believes the next phase in life is when “Crooked eclipses ‘gainst his glory fight.” The meaning of “crooked” can be interpreted as malicious behavior or to the arch formed in the back that comes with age. This literally portrays the light being “eclipsed” from a person’s life as they begin to bend from old age and reduce their stature. At this point, time is taking its toll and people begin to form aches and pains throughout their body. Shakespeare time’s switches sides when he says, “And time that gave doth now his gift confound” believing that friendly time which had given every opportunity to let grow and mature has now begun to take away youthful treasures like durability and health. Time has begun to “confound” our treasures which suggests that it is slowly decaying away our bodies and our memory until we lack what we once were. Shakespeare continues his analysis of time’s effects in the last quatrain when he states, “Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth” suggesting that time is able to “transfix” our growth and prosperity by stopping all growth in its tracks and halting all further youthfulness through decay.
The connotation of “flourish” in this line also suggests a connection to the growth and prosperity mentioned in the nativity’s “main of light,” such as the growth of a person’s mind and body when they move through adolescents and reach their final level of maturity. Combined, it can be seen that time has the effect to hinder and contend with what a person strives for. Shakespeare believes that time also ruins our beauty, when he states that it “delves the parallels in beauty’s brow,” he means that it digs lines into a youthful face giving wrinkles. The use of the verb “delves” suggests that time is quite literally digging lines forcibly into a face, and the use of the word “parallels, which are military trenches that were dug for warfare, suggests a war upon a person’s body and their “beauty” as time goes forth. Next, Shakespeare perceives that time is like an animal that “Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth.” By using “feeds,” Shakespeare is suggesting that time is almost like a predator that moves from victim to victim feeding off of their beauty and youthfulness, which can be interpreted as “nature’s truth.” Finally, Shakespeare believes that as time rips away at our body
that “nothing stands but for his scythe to mow” in the very end of the process. This line suggests that when time takes its toll that nothing of a person will be left to “stand” and that we will be completely forgotten. Shakespeare goes even deeper by suggesting that something as meaningless as a “scythe” will still be left standing when we are gone suggesting that anything we do will not combat time. Shakespeare transitions from the wrath of time to the hope that he can provide when he states that “to times in hope my verse shall stand” in which he is literally telling his friend that he hopes that his verse will persevere through times power. Shakespeare believes that he can help his friend and “stand” against time through the ages together. So, instead of just the “scythe” left standing, it will be them in the “verse” that Shakespeare pens in his works that defy the all-consuming predator that is time. Shakespeare continues this uplifting message by stating that people will “praise thy worth, despite his cruel hand,” which refers to the fact that they will be praised in his works even through times consuming behaviors. Shakespeare gives “time” a “cruel hand,” which continues to suggest that time is this unruly figure that abuses the memories of others. Shakespeare believes that his verse will last through the ages and he writes of how time will influence and destroy everyone’s memory besides his very own. Time is relentless and Shakespeare offers help to those he cares for to help them beat time. The effects of time haven’t yet effected Shakespeare’s memory and impact on literature, so maybe he was very correct in assuming that he could save and boost the memory of those around him. The key message of this poem is that we should make something of ourselves and strive for greatness before time has the ability to strip us of youthful pleasures.
For my first scene I have chosen act 1 scene 5 in which Romeo meets
The teacher will evaluate the students’ comprehension of the lesson through the participation of the students in the class discussion, the quality of student responses to the paired translation exercise, and from the homework of the remaining passages to translate which were not discussed in class.
William Shakespeare, poet and playwright, utilized humor and irony as he developed specific language for his plays, thereby influencing literature forever. “Shakespeare became popular in the eighteenth century” (Epstein 8). He was the best all around. “Shakespeare was a classic” (8). William Shakespeare is a very known and popular man that has many works, techniques and ways. Shakespeare is the writer of many famous works of literature. His comedies include humor while his plays and poems include irony. Shakespeare sets himself apart by using his own language and word choice. Shakespeare uses certain types of allusions that people always remember, as in the phrase from Romeo and Juliet, “star-crossed lovers”.
Shakespeare's plays are full of references to what is now obscure- classical myth, falconry, astrology, or the theory of 'humors' that were thought to determine personality within so many of his characters (?S??Far?). Shakespeare wrote about themes and events we can relate to even now nearly 500 years later. 'He wrote about us-you and me, our friends, our families, the people we work with and play with and argue with and go to bed with, the characters we see on the evening news and elect to public office' often times comparisons are often scary (Seder iii). Shakespeare also liked to make fun of many of his characters. His plays show that he can be funny and has a humorous personality, often times even in his tragedies in which tears would flow from not only depression but from laughter. 'Shakespeare is full of humor, not only the broad clowning of the likes of Falstaff, but the deft little jabs and needles, sly and subtle jests' found in his vocabulary (Seder iv). The meanings of words Shakespeare used have changed and some have totally disappeared. The word ?bootless to Shakespeare did not mean lacking footwear, but useless or meaningless? (?So?..Far?). In our time we use expressions like LOL and IDK that stand for ?laugh out loud? and ?I don?t know or understand? when writing text messages or instant messages. If these expressions were during Shakespeare?s time the people would not have understood their meaning. Another such expressions could be ?Cool beans!? that basically means ?this is neat.? Terms that Shakespeare used have either fallen out of use or have different meanings, thus confusing the reader if he or she is not familiar with the Shakespearean style of writing. A great example of a word meaning chan...
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 collaborative theme (Bloom 12). Shakespeare begins with the broad season of autumns and gets progressively more specific as he discusses twilight, a smaller frame of reference, and eventually ashes, the one nonlinear metaphor that is the most specific of the three (Vendler 335). The first quatrain is devoted to the depiction of autumn as an ending season. These four lines are characterized by a tone of loss, emptiness, and nostalgia for the spring that represents the poet’s youth.
This is an enjoyable sonnet that uses nature imagery, found extensively in Petrarca, that Shakespeare uses to get his point across. Not much explication is needed, aside the sustained images of nature, to fully understand its intent, but I would like to point out a peculiar allusion. When reading line 3, "the violet past prime" has made me think of Venus and Adonis. In the end, Adonis melts into the earth and a violet sprouts where his body was, which Venus then places in her heart, signifying the love she has for him. Reading this into the poem makes the few following lines more significant. Having Adonis portrayed as the handsome youth, Shakespeare is alluding to the death of youth (in general and to the young man) through the sonnet. In the next line, it is not certain if "sable" is an adjective or a noun and if "curls" is a noun, referring to hair (which is plausible) or a verb modifying "sable." Invoking the allusion to Adonis here, Shakespeare portends that if Adonis did live longer, he too would have greying hair; thus, Shakespeare sees ["behold"] an Adonis figure, the young man, past his youth.
To start off, Shakespeare's elaborate use of figurative language is a huge reason why his writing is still taught centuries after his death. He used an extensive amount of this language to deliver a sense of emotion and depth in what his characters are saying. In some cases, Shakespeare will use figurative language to foreshadow future events in the play. For example, Friar Lawrence is talking to Romeo about the secret marriage he was being asked to do when he states, "These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder." In this case, Friar is basically reminding the audience that the forbidden lovers will die no matter how much they attempt to fix it. Shakespeare also uses figurative language to indicate a somewhat clear time period when actions take place. When Benvolio is talking to the Montagues about the last time he saw Romeo, he says, " An hour before the worshipped sun/ peered forth the golden window of the east." Shakespeare could have easily used simplistic language to explain the time of day the actions were taking place, but instead he personified the sun in a very pure and beautiful way.
One of the poems that William Shakespeare wrote is called “That time of year thou mayst in me behold.” It is also known as William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73. This Sonnet is viewed as being comprised of metaphors, which capture the struggle of life. Life in which there is an end to everything but beauty within it. The speaker within this poem is one that reflects on his life and how nature is closely connected with his journey. In order to understand the theme of the poem, the reader must first recognize and understand the three major metaphors within the poem.
In William Shakespeare’s poem “That time of year,” Shakespeare creates various pictures to describe the passing of time. Each metaphor provides a different way expressing death, and each way expressed shortens as the poem continues. The quickening of events provides a contrast to the deceleration of life. The sequence of time-associated metaphors contributes to the theme of realizing deaths inevitability and taking advantage of final moments by providing very distinct and vivid comparisons between the elapsing of time in life and the illustrations of consumption.In the first quatrain autumn is used as a metaphor. The few leaves that remain to hang are yellowed with age, as illustrated in the following quotation: “When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang, / Upon the boughs which shake against the cold,” (1-3). Showing that age takes its toll, these exposed and bare limbs are left to shake. They have declined in their physical beauty and are more susceptible to the cold and harsh elements of life. Not only are the branches shaking in the cold, they are shaking in fear of what is approaching. Death. The next line speaking of “Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.” (4), seems to refer to the remains of what is left, the exposed and raw elements. The branches of the tree are barren. The place where the “choir” would sing it’s sweet melody is now vacant space. The word “late” can possibly mean dead or approaching death. This leads into the next quatrain that takes place late in the day and on the edge of darkness.The next quatrain contains a more expected metaphor between sleep and death. The sunset symbolizes warmth and life that is fading into darkness. When Shakespeare says, “Which by and by black night doth take a...
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.
Shakespeare use of similes here suggests that the speaker views the world as cruel, so cruel that even the worms that crawl through its soil are foul. It also articulates that the speaker is afraid that his reader will be mocked for mourning their relationship. “Lest the wise world should look into your moan.” (Stephen Greenblatt, David and Lewalski) Because the world is a "vile" place, the poet is afraid of the cynics that might laugh, and judge his shortcomings inflicting more sorrow on the reader, whom he fears will be traumatize by
Shakespeare uses seasonal imagery in the first quatrain of the poem to show the comparison of aging to the time of season in the year. The narrator does this by using smaller images to create the larger main image of Autumn in the poem, which is his reflection on approaching old age. “That time of year thou mayest in me behold” (1). This is set in Autumn, the time between fall and winter. Fall is a representation of middle age and winter represents old
Overall the images representing the speakers past give the idea that its not easy for the speaker to face his destiny alone. The fourteen line sonnet is constructed of three quatrains and one couplet. With the organization of the poem, Shakespeare works out a different idea in each of the three quatrains as he writes the sonnet to lend itself naturally. Each of the quatrain contains a pair of images that create one universal idea in the quatrain.
Shakespeare's sonnets are a romantic and charming series of poems. His use of rhyme and passionate, eloquent language serve to illuminate his strong feelings. These techniques were probably the most fluent way for such a writer as him to express the immeasurable love that he obviously felt for his mysterious lady. Examining the numerous ways Shakespeare found to describe it, the reader believes that this love was undoubtedly lasting and authentic. He often made heart-felt comments about his emotions that could also suit lovers in the present day. Because of this, and the fact that people read them yet, Shakespeare's sonnets are timeless and universal, just like the concept of love itself.