Shakespeares Sonnets The Theme Of Love Essay - 1228 Words

Shakespeare’s poems are the monument of a remarkable genius but they are also the monuments of a remarkable age. The greatness of Shakespeare’s achievement was largely made possible by the work of his immediate predecessors, Sidney and Spenser. Shakespeare’s sonnets are intensely personal and are records of his hopes and fears, love and friendships, infatuations and disillusions that in turn acquire a universal quality through their intensity. The vogue of the sonnet in the Elizabethan age was brief but was very intense. Sir Thomas Wyatt and The Earl of Surrey brought the Petrarchan sonnet to England and with that an admiration for lyrical poetry. This had major consequences on English verse; it was not only due to the beauty of the†¦show more content†¦The mysterious dedication of Shakespeare’s sonnets has confused critics and readers. Some of them are addressed to a patron of letter who is also addressed as a friend and the latter ones to an imaginary and conventional mistress. But some of them are also philosophical in Nature and not addressed to any particular person. In some the theme of Carpe Diem has been emphasized, like in sonnet 123 â€Å"NO, Time thou shalt not boast that I do change.† Shakespeare has stated explicitly that the essence of the love he was celebrating in his sonnets was independent of reality and therefore was independent of change. Like in sonnet 124, when he says, â€Å"That it grows with heat, nor drowns with showers.† But the Romantics believed that the sonnets were autobiographical, and also the even now the critics feel the same way. But some of the critics view the sonnets as ‘purely literary exercises.’ The first 126 sonnets are dedicated to a young man W.H. who embodies the Renaissance cult of beauty and youth. Like in sonnet 14 the idea is presented that the Young man is the sole example of the perfect union of truth and beauty. â€Å"In him those holy antique hours are seen, Without allShow MoreRelatedComparing And Contrasting Two Sonnets1141 Words   |  5 PagesContrasting Two Sonnets ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare and ‘What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, And Where, And Why† by Edna St. Vincent Millay are both sonnets that discuss companionship and a glimpse of each poet’s experiences. In ‘Sonnet 116’, Shakespeare illustrates how capability is weakened by its metaphysical stereotype and ideals such as, love, while on the contrary, in ‘What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, And Where, And Why† Millay feeds on the chaos between the ideal of love and its harshRead MoreSonnet 18 By William Shakespeare862 Words   |  4 PagesSonnet 18 is among the most famous of Shakespeare’s works and is believed by many to be one of the greatest love poems of all time. 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Although Edmund Spenser’s â€Å"Sonnet 75† and William Shakespeare’sRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1263 Words   |  6 Pages Shakespeare is known for numerous literature achievements such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, MacBeth and so on. However, he is also known for his short but witty sonnets. While Shakespeare was known for more romantic stylistic poems and plays, his sonnets attack conventional notions in a number of ways. Shakespeare takes the ideas and attitudes of other sonnets and twists them into his own which goes against the habitual descriptions. Two sonnets, in particular, Sonnet 130 and also Sonnet 138Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Sonnet 73902 Words   |  4 Pages William Shakespeare â€Å"That time of year thou mayst in me behold† (Sonnet 73) The sonnet, originating in Italy, was formed by Francesco Petrarch. The Petrarchan sonnet, originally consisting of two quatrains and a couplet, was soon brought to England where William Shakespeare took an interest in this unknown form of poetry. Shakespeare revised the sonnet so it consisted of three quatrains with the rhyming scheme of â€Å"abab cdcd efef† and a rhyming couplet at the end. This revised sonnet was then referredRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Sonnet, Let Me Not And The Marriage Of True Minds And Sherran s Composition953 Words   |  4 Pages Comparisons of Shakespeare s sonnet â€Å"Let Me Not in to the Marriage of True Minds† and Sherran s composition â€Å"Thinking Out Loud† In the poem â€Å"Let Me Not in to the Marriage of True Minds† also known as â€Å"Sonnet 116† Shakespeare uses the theme that love endures; to articulate that in spite of obstacles, true love never expires. First, he defines love as having a decree. For example, over time circumstances and a person can change, but Shakespeare declares that love can not be influenced. AfterRead MoreShakespeares Sonnet 181392 Words   |  6 PagesIn Sonnet 18, Shakespeare shows his audience that his love will be preserved through his eternal lines of poetry by comparing his love and poetry with a summers day. Shakespeare then uses personification to emphasize these comparisons and make his theme clearer to his audience. Shakespeare also uses repetition of single words and ideas throughout the sonnet in order to stress the theme that his love and poetry are eternal, unlike other aspects of the natural world. Using the devices of metaphor