“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
Monday, January 26, 2015
Shakespearean Sonnets
Read some Shakespearean sonnets (http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/). Try to get a feel for the common themes and features of language. Write about your findings, and feel free to make reference to specific sonnets.
Shakespeare was inspired by the themes of nature, love and life. He uses a lot of oxymoron, contradictory expressions, allegorical figures, metaphore and appeals to the senses. The most part of his sonnets is about impossible and immortal love throughout the time. In his poems, I think he wanted to talk about his mistress or his friends and he praises their qualities by comparing them with the beauty of nature such as the lightness of summer, the colours of flower or the sweet rivers. He illustrates the person as beautiful as nature because nature at this time was considered as the most beauiful thing ever. Consequently he emphasizes her beauty by using nature metaphore. He also appeals to the senses (cf sonnet 141 "Nor are mine ears with thy tongue's tune delighted;/Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,/Nor taste, nor smell" ) and it emphasizes reality, even though the love seems impossible. He shows that by using lots of oxymorons (cf 144 "bad angel" ) or contradictory ideas (cf 144 "corrupt my saint to be a devil" ). Each sonnet sonnet is written in the same structure and meter pattern (Shakespearan sonnet) and it occures to me that they are linking to each other because it's almost the same themes everytime and he uses in majority the same rethorical devices (although he uses a lot of different devices)
Perceptive comments on Shakespeare's use of language. Make sure you reread your work before you post (some spelling mistakes - rhetorical, for instance).
Shakespeare's sonnets mostly are based on the themes of beauty, youth, nature, time, love.
Throughout his sonnets, we can make out the comparison between nature's beauty and a woman's beauty (Sonnet I : “That thereby beauty's rose might never die,”), the nostalgia of the past but also of the future (Sonnet V : “For never-resting time leads - To summer on hideous winter, and confounds hum there;”) but also some contrast between several themes such as life and death (Sonnet XIII : “live”, “coming end”, “decease”, “death”), between love and hate (Sonnet X : “Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?”), …
Mainly at the end, Shakespeare refers to famous mythological love characters such as Cupid (Sonnet CLIV : “The little Love-god lying once asleep,”), Dian (Sonnet CLIII : “A maid of Dian's this advantage found,”), Marcianus Scholasticus' love poem (Sonnet CLIII and Sonnet CLIV).
Shakespeare wanted to tell love is forgotten over the years (Sonnet XV : “And all in war with Time for love of you,”) but by the writing of his sonnets, his love will always be remembered (Sonnet XIX : “My love shall in my verse ever live young.”).
We can clearly understand the effects of time on love and the beauty of love which can only exist in youth : this creates a nostalgic atmosphere.
The main themes found in Shakespeare's sonnets are love, beauty, nature, time and youth. He talks about time that passes, and "that Time will come and take 5his° love away" (ex. : Sonnet CIV : "summer, "winters cold", "beauteous springs", "yellow autumn"), about the beauty of his mistress who is compared wich nature's beauty, and about the youth he kind of misses. Shakespeare uses lots of contradictory sentences and parallelisms (Sonnet XC : "If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last" ; Sonnet XLII : "my loss is my love's gain" ; Sonnet LXIV : "Increasing store with loss, and loss with store"), repetitions of words (Sonnet XXX : "And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er"), assonances (Sonnet XXX : "Then can I grieve at grievances foregone" ; "And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er" ; "The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan") and imageries (Sonnet CIX : "my rose" ; "Like him that travels, I return again" ; Sonnet LXIV : "hungry ocean"). Each sonnet has a link to the previous one or to another one because he always uses the same themes or he writes about the same subject (a woe for example in Sonnets 87, 88, 89 and 90). Shakespeare also writes in the first and second person, this really enables the readers to know what Shakespeare thinks and to feel what he feels. Furthermore, he always writes sonnets in iambic pentameters which may show a certain rhythm.
Good attention to detail, Eva. Don't hesitate to comment on the effects of the different figures of speech you mentioned. Also, avoid everyday expressions like "kind of" when you're discussing literature!
The main themes of a shakespearean sonnet are the themes of beauty, love, death, youth, nature, mortality and time. In his sonnets, Shakespeare often talks about the loss of beauty with time, the facts that getting old makes the beauty of youth disappear, for example in sonnet 2 : “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field, Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now, Will be a tattered weed, of small worth held.” Shakespeare also insists on the importance of making children, in order to see and remember the beauty of your youth in your child, and to preserve the legacy. From what he says, “Using your beauty” is to make children, and if you don't have children, your “unused beauty must be tombed with thee” in sonnet 4. According to him, people who don't have children are selfish, misers and wasteful, this is well expressed in sonnet 3 and 4. In a lot of his sonnets, Shakespeare compares nature and beauty, especially in the sonnets 5 and 6, when he writes about summer being destroyed by winter and then compares it with beauty being destroyed by old age, using imageries: “Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface In thee thy summer”. Also, Shakespeare uses the first and second person singular, as if he wants to talk to one person in particular and, sometimes, give him advises, or tell him what he should or shouldn't do, and why. Shakespeare sometimes uses his sonnets to admit his love to someone, because he can't tell the person directly. It is well shown in sonnet 23: “O let my books be then the eloquence And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, Who plead for love and look for recompense More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.”. The fact that all the sonnets are composed of the same main themes and structure, which creates a link between the sonnets.
The common themes of Shakespeare's sonnets are love, lust, beauty, youth and time. The theme of love, and how it makes us see the world differently, is found in many sonnets like sonnets 130, 131 132... Contrary to what one might think, love is often denounced in Shakespeare's sonnets and not praised. For instance in sonnet 137, love is described as something foolish that keeps humans from seeing the truth (l 1-2 "Thou blind fool, Love, what dost thou to mine eyes,/That they behold, and see not what they see?"). The theme of lust is found in many sonnets, often with the theme of love like in sonnet 131. Like love, lust is condemned in sonnet 129, it is presented as something people look for but as soon as they found it, they regret it (l 5 "Enjoyed no sooner but despisèd straight") . Strong words are used, lust is decribed as an enemy, as " Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust" (l4). Shakespeare often talks about beauty like in sonnet 130 where he mocks the other poets who exaggerate the beauty of the women when writing about love. Youth is also often associated with beauty like in sonnet 96. Shakespeare describes youth as something desired and charming (l 1-3 "Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness;/Some say thy grace is youth and gentle sport;/Both grace and faults are lov'd of more and less"). Another common theme is time which is often associated with the two latter beauty and youth, which is shown in sonnet 16 as something that destroys beauty but not love ( l 9-10 "Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks /Within his bending sickle’s compass come"). Almost every Shakespearean sonnets have the same themes, the same number of lines (14), the same metrical pentameter (iambic pentameter) and the same rhyme scheme (abab cdcd efef gg). Therefore they're all related and they show us that Shakespeare made up his own style of writing sonnet.
The major themes of Shakespeare's sonnets are love, nature, youth, beauty, time and passion.
If we look closely at the theme of love, we can see that contrary to popular belief, Shakespeare sometimes presents love as a burden and not as something magical and pleasant. For example, he refers to himself as a slave for his significant other, who appears to have cheated on him, in both sonnets 57 and 58. But Shakespeare obviously also presents love extremely positively : in the sonnet 116 for example, he shows love on it's most ideal form.
The theme of time takes a great place in Shakespeare's sonnets. He usually shows time as being able to control beauty, often degrading it, but not love. In sonnet 116, he writes that "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks", whereas in sonnet 65, he asks "Or who [Time's] spoil of beauty can forbid?" only to answer "O, none, unless this miracle have might".
Beauty is often compared with Nature, such as in sonnet 67, where Shakespeare protests against cosmetic and shows his faith in natural beauty by saying "Why should poor beauty indirectly seek / Roses of shadow, since his rose is true?".
Nature is almost always associated with something positive. For example, in sonnet 4, nature is associated with generosity, wiseness, beauty and youth.
Every Shakespearian sonnet has the same features : the same number of lines, metrical pattern and rhyme scheme. Furthermore, each sonnet is often related to either the previous or the next one.
The main theme of Shakespeare’s sonnets is love, although many other themes are used to explore this, such as the passage of time and death as seen in sonnet 71, ‘But let your love even with my life decay’, the beauty of nature as in sonnet 98 ‘Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell/Of different flowers in odour and hue’ or mythological themes, such as in sonnet 53, ‘On Helen’s cheek all art of beauty set’. Another key theme is the eternity that poetry gives to love.
The first sonnets in the sequence appear to be addressed to an attractive young man whom the author is urging to have children in order to pass on his beauty, instead of letting it waste away and die heirless. Further on he talks mainly about love, alternately extolling his lover’s virtues, cursing unrequited love, or even parodying it.
Often Shakespeare’s sonnets are composed of one particular theme, such as eternity or the changing seasons, which may go as far to be a conceit throughout the whole poem. A good example of this is the conceit of music in sonnet 128, or that of painting in sonnet 24. Other figures of language used are personifications, simple metaphors and similes, and very often antithesis and contrast. The atmosphere varies a lot, going from peaceful and sweet to raging and bitter.
Lastly it is interesting to note that although the subjects used in the sonnets vary greatly from one end of the sequence to the other, they seem to follow a logical pattern. Thus you will find groups of poems with the same themes: first procreation, then the passage of time, then enslavement to the poet’s lover… As other people have quite rightly pointed out, this, along with the constant use of sonnet form, points to a strong link between all the works in this sequence, and an overriding message about the eternity of love.
One thing that you notice when having read Shakespearean sonnets is that the main recurant theme is love. This theme is often underlined by smaller themes supporting it such as youth, beauty, time, death and nature. A good example to illustrate time is sonnet 12 especially the first line:"When I do count the clock that tells the time,", in the first sonnet we see a comparison between beauty and nature “That thereby beauty's rose might never die,”. Mostly of Shakespeares (leading) characters represent youth, the perfect example being Romeo and Juliet. Love is described as a burden, a painful journey, an illness needing a remedy, a cure (rondeau 1) by the uses of metaphors and simile. To me, since the themes are very much the same throughout Shakespeare's sonnets and they have the same shape ( iambic pentameter), the first one you read is inspiring , the second a bit less,... after a while it is a bit repetitive. This is only my opinion and to each his own!
In Shakespeare poetry, we can notice quite easily the main themes, those being love, youth, time and beauty. Shakespeare write mostly about love, linked the others themes together and to love. To love, he gives an idea of infinity and eternity. To beauty, he gives the idea that beauty shall fade but love can stay no matters the time. For youth, he explore the idea that love is a burden for young souls. No matters how much sonnet we read, the themes are still written the same way and it can seems redundant, especially with the shape of the sonnet. These sonnet have eactly the same patterns, the form of iambic pentameter. The repetition of this form can seem a bit boring, even if it tells long about Shakespeare's times. Anyway, this is only my opinion on Shakespeare's sonnet, but it doesn't stop me to admire Shakespeare's writing.
The shakespearian sonnets mainly speeks about youth (beauty) , life (procreation,), time (progress of years, age, beauty of the the progressing seasons...), nature (the seasons, the earth...).
Shakspeares' has a lot of themes that usually comes in his sonnets, he write a lot about youth, the beauty of young age, a gift of nature used to serve and bless the world distinction of perfection for S. which will be inherited throug generations "So you too, fair youth, will be nothing as you age, unless you become the rising sun by having a son.'" this importance of preserving youth by the onl way of having a child unless this gift will perish as for you. There is also this life references, the importance of marriage and procreation, unless you will perish [we can there see how things had change through years, the important things to have to accomplish in your life are not the same as now days, marriage and procreation as Adam and Eve don't have the same importance and is not a priority of people ]. In almost all his sonnets W.S talks about the passing time, which is a " cruel processes" but precious, we have this idea of getting older; the progress of years, that youth is not eternal and the times flies so there is no time to waste. The nature is also one of the most important themes is S. sonnets, he always uses imagery of nature to describe, the beauty of nature, his grouth and death, his sunny and gray times (all paradoxe use to create contrast in his descriptions, but inmy point of view this indecisives "feeling" can maybe muddle up the audience mind because after all he doesn't now if the character is pink or blue, for exemple "OH brawling love, OH loving hate" we don't know if he his injuring love or hate or maybe both... thus it can be confusing.
S. has his own way of writting his sonnets, with iambic pentamer and rimes scheme of abab cdcd etc.., he uses a lot of imagery, methaphor, comparaison and simile [which gives live to his sonnet and makes it more graceful for me] S.his know for his special style of wwritting and thats what makes him that special.
We can guess that William Shakespeare was a passionate and sensitive man given that most of his sonnets are based on love, nature, beauty and other 'romantic' themes. He uses many metaphors and similies to illustrate that which he is speaking of (e.g. Sonnet XVIII: comparison with a summer's day). He also makes many references to history and mythology. In sonnet LIII he speaks of Helen and Adonis. He wrote several sonnets in the first person, questioning a lover or a friend. This led William Wordsworth to believe that "Shakespeare unlocked his heart" in his sonnets. If this were true then historians could gather a great amount of information on this mysterious poet because he (reprtedly) wrote 156 sonnets but two were kept from the public because of political and social reasons. His sonnets were written in rhymes with an ababcdcdefefgg pattern (what is now called a Shakespearian sonnet). It is a very effective pattern as it allows to emphasize the last two lines, turning them into a conclusion of sorts. His sonnets were written in iambic pentameter meaning each line had 10 syllables in a di dum rythm. I enjoy reading Shakespeare's sonnets, even if I don't always understand what he's saying. But then again I'm told I'm not really the romantic type. I still find that poetry is a great way to express your love to someone or to just have a bit of fun.
With only a few exceptions—Sonnets 99, 126, and 145, Shakespeare's verses follow the established English form of the sonnet. Each is a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter. And there are four sections in a sonnet: groups of four lines, followed by a couplet of two lines. Also the sonnets follow the traditional sonnets rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg. If we sequence Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, then we can divide them into two parts: sonnets 1-126 focus on a young man and the speaker's friendship with him, and sonnets 127-154 focus on the speaker's relationship with a woman. However, in only a few of the poems in the first group is it clear that the person being addressed is a male. Many of Shakespeare's themes are conventional topics, such as love, beauty and time. Love in Shakespeare’s sonnets are described with some natural figures, also we discover love in his sonnets are complex and sometimes inconsistent. Most of the time, I don’t really understand what Shakespeare’s sonnets trying to tell us, but I still appreciate and enjoy the complicated feelings he gave us from them.
Shakespeare's sonnets speak mainly of beauty and the power of time over youth and love, conflicting old age and youth, eternity and death. They speak of the happiness that love can bring but also of how short-lived it is, as opposed to how infinite it might seem. Shakespeare also uses a lot of imagery from nature and makes a lot of references to music.
One idea that comes often in these sonnets is that beauty is short-lived and precious; young ladies' beauty is often compared to fragile flowers that will not last but will be admired, and shall be taken care of, or to summer itself, the sunny, joyful season that doesn't last long. In sonnet V, for example, that gentle beauty seems to be compared to a summer's flower : “Those hours that with gentle work did frame The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell Will play the tyrants to the very same […] For never-resting time leads summer on To hideous winter and confounds him there, Sap checked with frost and lusty leaves quite gone, Beauty o'er-snowed and bareness everywhere.” The beauty evoked there will not last longer than a summer's flower, but the scent of it can be preserved even through harsh winter : I associate the sent with the memory of that beauty in the minds of those who love that person : “But flowers distilled, though they with winter meet, Leese but their show; their substance still lives sweet.” The memory of love seems to be a sweet, innocent thing in this sonnet.
I was surprised to find that a lot of sonnets talk of children and founding a family : apparently it is not only something that can make one happy, but perhaps the only thing that can make one truly happy, as is said in sonnet VIII : “If the true concord of well-tuned sounds, By unions married, do offend thine ear, They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.” Loneliness seems to be the cause of one's sadness, and Shakespeare here is almost accusing towards that person, saying if she/he would find a husband or a wife and have children, they would not be so miserable. That the music, the harmony of her/his life can sound right only is he/she steps out of his/her loneliness. It is the conclusion of Sonnet VIII : “Thou single wilt prove none.” This very theme comes back in sonnet II too : “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow, […] Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now, Will be a tattered weed, of small worth held. […] How much more praise deserved thy beauty’s use If thou couldst answer, “This fair child of mine Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,” Proving his beauty by succession thine.” This poem tells me that beauty, even if short-lived, can live on only by one mean : having children, and passing on your beauty to them. Founding a family is no longer only a mean to be happy; it is also a mean to preserve beauty and something to be proud of when you grow old, as you don't have physical beauty to be proud of anymore. This theme is evoked again in sonnet III, “Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest, Now is the time that face should form another, Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest, Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother.” Reproducing, according to Shakespeare, is not only a pleasure and something that will bring happiness and beauty, but also a simple need. And in this particular sonnet, he's saying that not having a family, at the end, would be something to be ashamed of. “But if thou live remembered not to be, Die single and thine image dies with thee.” is the conclusion of sonnet III, and it seems rather harsh to me; like dying single is a waste of your life, and you've come to this world to do one thing, and that is being happy with your family and giving life to another human being if you're a woman or simply raising one with love if you're a man. But I feel like most sonnets of Shakespeare are aimed at women, their short-lived beauty, their capacity to pass life on and the love they inspire.
Shakespeare was inspired by the themes of nature, love and life. He uses a lot of oxymoron, contradictory expressions, allegorical figures, metaphore and appeals to the senses. The most part of his sonnets is about impossible and immortal love throughout the time. In his poems, I think he wanted to talk about his mistress or his friends and he praises their qualities by comparing them with the beauty of nature such as the lightness of summer, the colours of flower or the sweet rivers. He illustrates the person as beautiful as nature because nature at this time was considered as the most beauiful thing ever. Consequently he emphasizes her beauty by using nature metaphore.
ReplyDeleteHe also appeals to the senses (cf sonnet 141 "Nor are mine ears with thy tongue's tune delighted;/Nor tender feeling, to base touches prone,/Nor taste, nor smell" ) and it emphasizes reality, even though the love seems impossible. He shows that by using lots of oxymorons (cf 144 "bad angel" ) or contradictory ideas (cf 144 "corrupt my saint to be a devil" ).
Each sonnet sonnet is written in the same structure and meter pattern (Shakespearan sonnet) and it occures to me that they are linking to each other because it's almost the same themes everytime and he uses in majority the same rethorical devices (although he uses a lot of different devices)
Perceptive comments on Shakespeare's use of language. Make sure you reread your work before you post (some spelling mistakes - rhetorical, for instance).
DeleteShakespeare's sonnets mostly are based on the themes of beauty, youth, nature, time, love.
ReplyDeleteThroughout his sonnets, we can make out the comparison between nature's beauty and a woman's beauty (Sonnet I : “That thereby beauty's rose might never die,”), the nostalgia of the past but also of the future (Sonnet V : “For never-resting time leads - To summer on hideous winter, and confounds hum there;”) but also some contrast between several themes such as life and death (Sonnet XIII : “live”, “coming end”, “decease”, “death”), between love and hate (Sonnet X : “Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?”), …
Mainly at the end, Shakespeare refers to famous mythological love characters such as Cupid (Sonnet CLIV : “The little Love-god lying once asleep,”), Dian (Sonnet CLIII : “A maid of Dian's this advantage found,”), Marcianus Scholasticus' love poem (Sonnet CLIII and Sonnet CLIV).
Shakespeare wanted to tell love is forgotten over the years (Sonnet XV : “And all in war with Time for love of you,”) but by the writing of his sonnets, his love will always be remembered (Sonnet XIX : “My love shall in my verse ever live young.”).
We can clearly understand the effects of time on love and the beauty of love which can only exist in youth : this creates a nostalgic atmosphere.
Interesting, Jinte. Can you comment on the effects of Shakespeare's mythological references?
DeleteThe main themes found in Shakespeare's sonnets are love, beauty, nature, time and youth. He talks about time that passes, and "that Time will come and take 5his° love away" (ex. : Sonnet CIV : "summer, "winters cold", "beauteous springs", "yellow autumn"), about the beauty of his mistress who is compared wich nature's beauty, and about the youth he kind of misses.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare uses lots of contradictory sentences and parallelisms (Sonnet XC : "If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last" ; Sonnet XLII : "my loss is my love's gain" ; Sonnet LXIV : "Increasing store with loss, and loss with store"), repetitions of words (Sonnet XXX : "And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er"), assonances (Sonnet XXX : "Then can I grieve at grievances foregone" ; "And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er" ; "The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan") and imageries (Sonnet CIX : "my rose" ; "Like him that travels, I return again" ; Sonnet LXIV : "hungry ocean").
Each sonnet has a link to the previous one or to another one because he always uses the same themes or he writes about the same subject (a woe for example in Sonnets 87, 88, 89 and 90).
Shakespeare also writes in the first and second person, this really enables the readers to know what Shakespeare thinks and to feel what he feels.
Furthermore, he always writes sonnets in iambic pentameters which may show a certain rhythm.
Good attention to detail, Eva. Don't hesitate to comment on the effects of the different figures of speech you mentioned. Also, avoid everyday expressions like "kind of" when you're discussing literature!
DeleteThe main themes of a shakespearean sonnet are the themes of beauty, love, death, youth, nature, mortality and time.
ReplyDeleteIn his sonnets, Shakespeare often talks about the loss of beauty with time, the facts that getting old makes the beauty of youth disappear, for example in sonnet 2 : “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field, Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now, Will be a tattered weed, of small worth held.”
Shakespeare also insists on the importance of making children, in order to see and remember the beauty of your youth in your child, and to preserve the legacy. From what he says, “Using your beauty” is to make children, and if you don't have children, your “unused beauty must be tombed with thee” in sonnet 4.
According to him, people who don't have children are selfish, misers and wasteful, this is well expressed in sonnet 3 and 4.
In a lot of his sonnets, Shakespeare compares nature and beauty, especially in the sonnets 5 and 6, when he writes about summer being destroyed by winter and then compares it with beauty being destroyed by old age, using imageries: “Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface In thee thy summer”.
Also, Shakespeare uses the first and second person singular, as if he wants to talk to one person in particular and, sometimes, give him advises, or tell him what he should or shouldn't do, and why.
Shakespeare sometimes uses his sonnets to admit his love to someone, because he can't tell the person directly. It is well shown in sonnet 23: “O let my books be then the eloquence And dumb presagers of my speaking breast, Who plead for love and look for recompense More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.”.
The fact that all the sonnets are composed of the same main themes and structure, which creates a link between the sonnets.
You bring up some very interesting points, Ninon. Good job.
DeleteThe common themes of Shakespeare's sonnets are love, lust, beauty, youth and time.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of love, and how it makes us see the world differently, is found in many sonnets like sonnets 130, 131 132... Contrary to what one might think, love is often denounced in Shakespeare's sonnets and not praised. For instance in sonnet 137, love is described as something foolish that keeps humans from seeing the truth (l 1-2 "Thou blind fool, Love, what dost thou to mine eyes,/That they behold, and see not what they see?").
The theme of lust is found in many sonnets, often with the theme of love like in sonnet 131. Like love, lust is condemned in sonnet 129, it is presented as something people look for but as soon as they found it, they regret it (l 5 "Enjoyed no sooner but despisèd straight") . Strong words are used, lust is decribed as an enemy, as " Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust" (l4).
Shakespeare often talks about beauty like in sonnet 130 where he mocks the other poets who exaggerate the beauty of the women when writing about love.
Youth is also often associated with beauty like in sonnet 96. Shakespeare describes youth as something desired and charming (l 1-3 "Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness;/Some say thy grace is youth and gentle sport;/Both grace and faults are lov'd of more and less").
Another common theme is time which is often associated with the two latter beauty and youth, which is shown in sonnet 16 as something that destroys beauty but not love ( l 9-10 "Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks /Within his bending sickle’s compass come").
Almost every Shakespearean sonnets have the same themes, the same number of lines (14), the same metrical pentameter (iambic pentameter) and the same rhyme scheme (abab cdcd efef gg). Therefore they're all related and they show us that Shakespeare made up his own style of writing sonnet.
Very good attention to detail. Shakespeare didn't invent the sonnet, but he did have his own style!
DeleteThe major themes of Shakespeare's sonnets are love, nature, youth, beauty, time and passion.
ReplyDeleteIf we look closely at the theme of love, we can see that contrary to popular belief, Shakespeare sometimes presents love as a burden and not as something magical and pleasant. For example, he refers to himself as a slave for his significant other, who appears to have cheated on him, in both sonnets 57 and 58.
But Shakespeare obviously also presents love extremely positively : in the sonnet 116 for example, he shows love on it's most ideal form.
The theme of time takes a great place in Shakespeare's sonnets. He usually shows time as being able to control beauty, often degrading it, but not love. In sonnet 116, he writes that "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks", whereas in sonnet 65, he asks "Or who [Time's] spoil of beauty can forbid?" only to answer "O, none, unless this miracle have might".
Beauty is often compared with Nature, such as in sonnet 67, where Shakespeare protests against cosmetic and shows his faith in natural beauty by saying "Why should poor beauty indirectly seek / Roses of shadow, since his rose is true?".
Nature is almost always associated with something positive. For example, in sonnet 4, nature is associated with generosity, wiseness, beauty and youth.
Every Shakespearian sonnet has the same features : the same number of lines, metrical pattern and rhyme scheme. Furthermore, each sonnet is often related to either the previous or the next one.
Very good focus on different aspects of a theme.
DeleteThe main theme of Shakespeare’s sonnets is love, although many other themes are used to explore this, such as the passage of time and death as seen in sonnet 71, ‘But let your love even with my life decay’, the beauty of nature as in sonnet 98 ‘Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell/Of different flowers in odour and hue’ or mythological themes, such as in sonnet 53, ‘On Helen’s cheek all art of beauty set’. Another key theme is the eternity that poetry gives to love.
ReplyDeleteThe first sonnets in the sequence appear to be addressed to an attractive young man whom the author is urging to have children in order to pass on his beauty, instead of letting it waste away and die heirless. Further on he talks mainly about love, alternately extolling his lover’s virtues, cursing unrequited love, or even parodying it.
Often Shakespeare’s sonnets are composed of one particular theme, such as eternity or the changing seasons, which may go as far to be a conceit throughout the whole poem. A good example of this is the conceit of music in sonnet 128, or that of painting in sonnet 24. Other figures of language used are personifications, simple metaphors and similes, and very often antithesis and contrast. The atmosphere varies a lot, going from peaceful and sweet to raging and bitter.
Lastly it is interesting to note that although the subjects used in the sonnets vary greatly from one end of the sequence to the other, they seem to follow a logical pattern. Thus you will find groups of poems with the same themes: first procreation, then the passage of time, then enslavement to the poet’s lover… As other people have quite rightly pointed out, this, along with the constant use of sonnet form, points to a strong link between all the works in this sequence, and an overriding message about the eternity of love.
Very perceptive analysis, Sophia.
DeleteOne thing that you notice when having read Shakespearean sonnets is that the main recurant theme is love.
ReplyDeleteThis theme is often underlined by smaller themes supporting it such as youth, beauty, time, death and nature.
A good example to illustrate time is sonnet 12 especially the first line:"When I do count the clock that tells the time,", in the first sonnet we see a comparison between beauty and nature “That thereby beauty's rose might never die,”.
Mostly of Shakespeares (leading) characters represent youth, the perfect example being Romeo and Juliet.
Love is described as a burden, a painful journey, an illness needing a remedy, a cure (rondeau 1) by the uses of metaphors and simile.
To me, since the themes are very much the same throughout Shakespeare's sonnets and they have the same shape ( iambic pentameter), the first one you read is inspiring , the second a bit less,... after a while it is a bit repetitive. This is only my opinion and to each his own!
You're entitled to your opinion! Make sure you fully express your ideas (e.g. what about time is illustrated in sonnet 12?).
DeleteIn Shakespeare poetry, we can notice quite easily the main themes, those being love, youth, time and beauty.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare write mostly about love, linked the others themes together and to love. To love, he gives an idea of infinity and eternity. To beauty, he gives the idea that beauty shall fade but love can stay no matters the time. For youth, he explore the idea that love is a burden for young souls.
No matters how much sonnet we read, the themes are still written the same way and it can seems redundant, especially with the shape of the sonnet.
These sonnet have eactly the same patterns, the form of iambic pentameter. The repetition of this form can seem a bit boring, even if it tells long about Shakespeare's times.
Anyway, this is only my opinion on Shakespeare's sonnet, but it doesn't stop me to admire Shakespeare's writing.
*stop me from admiring
DeletePerhaps next time you could make reference to a sonnet or two in order to support your ideas!
The shakespearian sonnets mainly speeks about youth (beauty) , life (procreation,), time (progress of years, age, beauty of the the progressing seasons...), nature (the seasons, the earth...).
ReplyDeleteShakspeares' has a lot of themes that usually comes in his sonnets, he write a lot about youth, the beauty of young age, a gift of nature used to serve and bless the world distinction of perfection for S. which will be inherited throug generations "So you too, fair youth, will be nothing as you age, unless you become the rising sun by having a son.'" this importance of preserving youth by the onl way of having a child unless this gift will perish as for you.
There is also this life references, the importance of marriage and procreation, unless you will perish [we can there see how things had change through years, the important things to have to accomplish in your life are not the same as now days, marriage and procreation as Adam and Eve don't have the same importance and is not a priority of people ].
In almost all his sonnets W.S talks about the passing time, which is a " cruel processes" but precious, we have this idea of getting older; the progress of years, that youth is not eternal and the times flies so there is no time to waste.
The nature is also one of the most important themes is S. sonnets, he always uses imagery of nature to describe, the beauty of nature, his grouth and death, his sunny and gray times (all paradoxe use to create contrast in his descriptions, but inmy point of view this indecisives "feeling" can maybe muddle up the audience mind because after all he doesn't now if the character is pink or blue, for exemple "OH brawling love, OH loving hate" we don't know if he his injuring love or hate or maybe both... thus it can be confusing.
S. has his own way of writting his sonnets, with iambic pentamer and rimes scheme of abab cdcd etc.., he uses a lot of imagery, methaphor, comparaison and simile [which gives live to his sonnet and makes it more graceful for me]
S.his know for his special style of wwritting and thats what makes him that special.
A good effort to focus on details. Now make sure you reread your work in order to correct your spelling and conjugation mistakes!
DeleteGood analysis of the effects of language. Watch your spelling (interesting, rhetorical) and grammar (his mistress).
ReplyDeleteWe can guess that William Shakespeare was a passionate and sensitive man given that most of his sonnets are based on love, nature, beauty and other 'romantic' themes. He uses many metaphors and similies to illustrate that which he is speaking of (e.g. Sonnet XVIII: comparison with a summer's day).
ReplyDeleteHe also makes many references to history and mythology. In sonnet LIII he speaks of Helen and Adonis.
He wrote several sonnets in the first person, questioning a lover or a friend. This led William Wordsworth to believe that "Shakespeare unlocked his heart" in his sonnets. If this were true then historians could gather a great amount of information on this mysterious poet because he (reprtedly) wrote 156 sonnets but two were kept from the public because of political and social reasons.
His sonnets were written in rhymes with an ababcdcdefefgg pattern (what is now called a Shakespearian sonnet). It is a very effective pattern as it allows to emphasize the last two lines, turning them into a conclusion of sorts. His sonnets were written in iambic pentameter meaning each line had 10 syllables in a di dum rythm.
I enjoy reading Shakespeare's sonnets, even if I don't always understand what he's saying. But then again I'm told I'm not really the romantic type. I still find that poetry is a great way to express your love to someone or to just have a bit of fun.
Don't hesitate to comment on the effects of Shakespeare's use of imagery or mythological references. And what does it mean to be "the romantic type"?
ReplyDeleteWith only a few exceptions—Sonnets 99, 126, and 145, Shakespeare's verses follow the established English form of the sonnet. Each is a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter. And there are four sections in a sonnet: groups of four lines, followed by a couplet of two lines. Also the sonnets follow the traditional sonnets rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg.
ReplyDeleteIf we sequence Shakespeare's 154 sonnets, then we can divide them into two parts: sonnets 1-126 focus on a young man and the speaker's friendship with him, and sonnets 127-154 focus on the speaker's relationship with a woman. However, in only a few of the poems in the first group is it clear that the person being addressed is a male.
Many of Shakespeare's themes are conventional topics, such as love, beauty and time. Love in Shakespeare’s sonnets are described with some natural figures, also we discover love in his sonnets are complex and sometimes inconsistent.
Most of the time, I don’t really understand what Shakespeare’s sonnets trying to tell us, but I still appreciate and enjoy the complicated feelings he gave us from them.
Shakespeare's sonnets speak mainly of beauty and the power of time over youth and love, conflicting old age and youth, eternity and death. They speak of the happiness that love can bring but also of how short-lived it is, as opposed to how infinite it might seem. Shakespeare also uses a lot of imagery from nature and makes a lot of references to music.
ReplyDeleteOne idea that comes often in these sonnets is that beauty is short-lived and precious; young ladies' beauty is often compared to fragile flowers that will not last but will be admired, and shall be taken care of, or to summer itself, the sunny, joyful season that doesn't last long. In sonnet V, for example, that gentle beauty seems to be compared to a summer's flower :
“Those hours that with gentle work did frame
The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell
Will play the tyrants to the very same […]
For never-resting time leads summer on
To hideous winter and confounds him there,
Sap checked with frost and lusty leaves quite gone,
Beauty o'er-snowed and bareness everywhere.”
The beauty evoked there will not last longer than a summer's flower, but the scent of it can be preserved even through harsh winter : I associate the sent with the memory of that beauty in the minds of those who love that person :
“But flowers distilled, though they with winter meet,
Leese but their show; their substance still lives sweet.”
The memory of love seems to be a sweet, innocent thing in this sonnet.
I was surprised to find that a lot of sonnets talk of children and founding a family : apparently it is not only something that can make one happy, but perhaps the only thing that can make one truly happy, as is said in sonnet VIII :
“If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.”
Loneliness seems to be the cause of one's sadness, and Shakespeare here is almost accusing towards that person, saying if she/he would find a husband or a wife and have children, they would not be so miserable. That the music, the harmony of her/his life can sound right only is he/she steps out of his/her loneliness. It is the conclusion of Sonnet VIII : “Thou single wilt prove none.”
This very theme comes back in sonnet II too :
“When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
[…]
Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now,
Will be a tattered weed, of small worth held.
[…]
How much more praise deserved thy beauty’s use
If thou couldst answer, “This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,”
Proving his beauty by succession thine.”
This poem tells me that beauty, even if short-lived, can live on only by one mean : having children, and passing on your beauty to them. Founding a family is no longer only a mean to be happy; it is also a mean to preserve beauty and something to be proud of when you grow old, as you don't have physical beauty to be proud of anymore.
This theme is evoked again in sonnet III,
“Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest,
Now is the time that face should form another,
Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,
Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother.”
Reproducing, according to Shakespeare, is not only a pleasure and something that will bring happiness and beauty, but also a simple need. And in this particular sonnet, he's saying that not having a family, at the end, would be something to be ashamed of.
“But if thou live remembered not to be,
Die single and thine image dies with thee.” is the conclusion of sonnet III, and it seems rather harsh to me; like dying single is a waste of your life, and you've come to this world to do one thing, and that is being happy with your family and giving life to another human being if you're a woman or simply raising one with love if you're a man.
But I feel like most sonnets of Shakespeare are aimed at women, their short-lived beauty, their capacity to pass life on and the love they inspire.