...In his poem, “A Sonnet,” Dante Gabriel Rossetti uses a series of paradoxical statements and concepts to demonstrate the sonnet’s multi-faceted character and importance. Likewise, Christina Rossetti’s poem, “In an Artist’s Studio,” also uses juxtaposition to illustrate the binary nature of paintings. However, these poems interpret these dualities in opposite ways; while Dante uses binaries to celebrate the depth and diversity of art, Christina ultimately uses them to establish an inherent inauthenticity about art. These divergent interpretations largely depend on how each poet attempts to reconcile art’s duality into one complete concept. While Dante portrays the sonnet as a composite of two distinct characters, these two characters...
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...Karmvir Sidhu ENG 111 - 64 Sandra E. Terry Feb 7, 2011 Sonnet 130: Imperfectly Perfect The secular world is increasingly fixated on the concept of beauty and the pursuit of perfection, however this preoccupation is not unique to the 20th century. While traditional love poems in the 18th century generally focused on glorifying a woman's beauty, Sonnet 130 written by William Shakespeare goes against the conventional culture of love poems and instead describes the realistic nature of his object of affection. In Sonnet 130, the idea of love and is intensely expressed and taken to a greater level of intimacy where beauty lies within an individual and not just on the surface. The allegorical meaning is presented through images that allow the reader to understand the poem beyond its literal meaning. In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, the notion of perfection is evaluated to a point where it is almost made irrelevant in relation to beauty and true love. In Sonnet 130, it seems as if William Shakespeare laughs at the idea of idealism and perfection. The expressions of discontent and dissatisfaction give the poem a satiric tone. This poem is written in Shakespearean iambic pentameter, commonly used by Shakespeare in many of his poems. It follows the ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG rhyme scheme. The first 12 lines are all rhyming pairs, followed by the rhyming couplet. In the first 4 lines of the poem the speaker expresses his lady’s lack of perfection and almost complains about how she does...
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...The sonnet tradition A sonnet is a form of poem written in an iambic pentameter, meaning it has 14 lines with three quatrains (4 lines rhyming ABAB) and a couplet (2 lines rhyming AA). The sonnets originated from an Italian poet called Fransesco Petrarca, who wrote love poems, later known as sonnets, to a woman he called Laura in the 1300s. After the woman’s death the poems were published, and, with their huge popularity, writing a sonnet became a way of declaring your love to unattainable women. The sonnets were always themed around about unrequited love and despair. The concept of the sonnets spread quickly around Italy and France but waited to be taken up by the Englishmen until the 1500s. Sir Thomas Wyatt started translating some of Petracra’s sonnets into English, thereby making them readable for the people of Britain. Wyatt wrote his own sonnets as well and he added a new theme as a contrast to the formerly known one, a theme in which the writer wants to break free of the love that enslaves him. The English poet Henry Howard took up writing sonnets as well, and he added male friendship as another theme to write a sonnet about. He also came up with the iambic pentameter, which later became the official structure of a sonnet. Even though these two poets made sonnets and published them together, the sonnet tradition didn’t gain much popularity amongst the people until the 1590s. Writing sonnets suddenly became a trend and loads of authors jumped on the wagon. Sir Philip...
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...Sonnet 18 Sonnet 18 is the best known and most well-loved of all 154 sonnets. It is also one of the most straightforward in language and intent. The stability of love and its power to immortalize the subject of the poet's verse is the theme. SUMMARY The poet starts the praise of the beloved without ostentation, but he slowly builds the image of his friend into that of a perfect being. The speaker opens the poem with a question addressed to the beloved: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The next eleven lines are devoted to such a comparison the beloved is first compared to summer in the octave, but, at the start of the third quatrain (9), she is summer, and thus, she is metamorphosed into the standard by which true beauty can and should be judged. The final quatrain of the sonnet tells how the beloved differs from the summer in that respect: his beauty will last forever (“Thy eternal summer shall not fade...”) and never die as poet's only answer to such profound joy and beauty is to ensure that his friend be forever in human memory, saved from the oblivion that accompanies death. He achieves this through his verse, believing that, as history writes itself, his friend will become one with time. The final couplet reaffirms the poet's hope that as long as there is breath in mankind, his poetry too will live on, and ensure the immortality of his muse. Commentary On the surface, the poem is simply a statement of praise about the beauty of the beloved; summer tends to...
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...Cleverly wrought within Tudor poetry exists self-contradictory words and phrases which, upon closer inspection, reveal hidden truths. Renaissance love poetry, seemingly self-evident on the surface, is fraught with paradox. Contradictions such as discord and chaos being defined by harmony and balance is a paradox which is explicated in Tudor poetry. Even further, pleasure being known only by pain and knowing the material only by the immaterial, are two self-imposed contradictions by which Tudor poets express their intended meanings. Both Edmund Spenser and Sir Thomas Wyatt explore the nature of paradox within their poetry. Even further, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey and Sir Philip Sidney use paradox to reveal the complexities of truths being understood only through absurdity. Moreover, Ione P. Couliano explores the nature of phantasma, neo-Platonism, and allegory in his work Eros and Magic in the Renaissance. Importantly, all of these works demonstrate not only the beautiful writing during the Tudor period, but they also illuminate the intricacies and emotional depth of writing during the 14th century. Both Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey are two Tudor poets who have translated Petrarch’s “Rima 140”. Both translations are slightly different, though they both have the same content, structure, and central metaphor. Even further, both translations use paradox in order to explicate love as a warrior and love being known only by the pain of rejection. The central...
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...William Shakespeare explores many important themes in his sonnet sequence. The passage of time and its impact on relationships, as well as the portrayal of love and beauty, are major concerns in many individual sonnets. Shakespeare’s sonnets focus upon universal issues and concerns making them relevant today. The themes of time and beauty will be explored and analysed in Sonnet 19 and Sonnet 130. These sonnets explore the passage of time and its effects on his beloved; the majority of the sonnets (1-126) are addressed to an unknown young man, with whom the poet has an intense romantic relationship. The final sonnets (127-154) are addressed to a promiscuous and scheming woman known to modern readers as the “dark lady”. The ambiguity of the “beloved”, be it a male or female figure for maximum appeals, and the universal desire to preserve youth and beauty envied by the “older” speaker. Sonnet 19 focuses on the savagery and inevitable nature of time; it is presented as a force that never rests. Sonnet 130 is a more about the imperfections of his mistress and the impact of time and how it has affected her appearance but his relationship with her hasn’t changed. Both sonnets share a sense of hopeful optimism and defiance, and explore ways in which beauty isn’t about just looks and how time can almost be beaten or at the very least, accepted. SITUATIONS In the first quatrain of Sonnet 19 “Devouring Time” is introduced. It describes the devastating effects of time and that nothing...
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...ARE USED BY SHAKESPEARE TO PUT FORTH HIS IDEAS IN SONNET-130? IS HE COMPLETELY ANTI-PETRARCHAN? [16] 1st part The language spoken and written of great romances is often poetic, passionate, and filled with metaphors of beauty and devotion. In short, the language of love is the language of exaggeration. William Shakespeare ‘s most powerful description of love is when he satirizes this method of writing and in so doing instead claims that honesty and sincerity are the greatest literary devices when speaking the language of love. Shakespeare's sonnet number 130 demonstrates this. This sonnet hooks the reader from the very outset while maintaining sonnet structure and using literary devices as a source of irony. Shocking the reader by using an unconventional method of satire to introduce a topic is the most effective way to hook an audience. Shakespeare begins his sonnet with the line; "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun -" (line 1). The reader immediately becomes curious to the poet’s reasoning for speaking in this tone. The first quatrain of this poem introduces the topic of beauty.The second quatrain enhances the topic and adds sentiment. In the first quatrain he describes the looks of his mistress, while in the second quatrain he relates how these looks affect him. The third quatrain releases this sentiment, the narrator concludes that he is aware of the ordinary nature of his mistress. The sonnet also satirizes literary devices such as metaphors...
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...of the poem regains immortality. The difference between nature which is a power on its own and literature is that while nature doesn't rely on anything external to sustain/unsustain immortality, literature relays on an external factor, the readers/ auditors, to give the subject matter as well as the poet immortality. In this paper I will demonstrate how poets reinforce my claim through their poems. Sonnet 75 by Edmund Spenser as well as sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare "eternal lines" (l.9) employs the theme of immortality. The poet tries to achieve immortality for his lover. In the sonnets, both personas state that their lover will be immortal" So long lives this, and this gives life to thee" (l.14). Both sonnets convey a message that even though the poet writes the sonnet the subject matter immortality is in the hands of external force; the readers/ auditors "so long as men can breath or eyes can see"(l.13). Both personas in the sonnets argue that the poet's creative ability comes amounts to writing the sonnet but unable to make the sonnet immortal. By reading the sonnet and therefore...
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...William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 Reflection and Analysis Ashley Terreforte Introduction to Literature Instructor Danielle Slaughter March 27th, 2013 In this paper I will be explaining why I find William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 interesting and what about the sonnet that catches my attention. I have always been a big fan of all of Shakespeare’s work only because his writing style and the words he uses to make his point within the play, sonnet, or piece of literature. The way Shakespeare writes I find very interesting and sometimes confuses me but that is what keeps me interested because I am continually learning how to define what it is that Shakespeare is trying to say within his literature. In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 the form, language, and content of the poem are what keep in engaged and wondering what would go through Shakespeare's mind when he sat down to write Sonnet 29. The form in which Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 29 and many other of his sonnets with the AB AB CD CD EF EF GG form reminds me of the notes on a music staff and that is what keeps most interested because in my head I look at it as a song and in a way it kind of is. The Elements in which kept me intrigued in William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 did not affect my response to the poem, however because of the language used to write the poem I did tend to focus more on trying to understand what Shakespeare was saying because of the language used. In William Shakespeare's Sonnet 29 the form in which he...
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...Interpretation of Sonnet 138 William Shakespeare is known for his ability to use words and put them in a way many meanings can be derived. Because of the beauty of his words and many interpretations of his work, he has stood the test of time. William Shakespeare simultaneously used structure, word choice, and tone to make each sonnet unique. All of Shakespeare’s sonnets are structured to have fourteen lines divided into three quatrains and one couplet. The quatrains are usually separate ideas with different tones and a couplet at the end of the sonnet tying the three quatrains together. However Sonnet 138 is slightly different than most of his sonnets because its first two quatrains are the same in tone. The first quatrain and second quatrains tell the reader of each lover’s deceit to the other. The third quatrain is where the tone begins to differ. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter and rhyme in the sonnet so that it can be read in a more fluid and comprehensive way. The sonnet is written in ABAB format to give the poem a better sound when read aloud. Shakespeare’s work has been famous for many reasons and will continue to be great, but his word usage may be what he is most famous for. In Sonnet 138, he used word plays, paradoxes, and metaphors to give depth to the meaning of the poem. With so many different possibilities for interpretation of the same poem, individuals may use their imaginations and take what they want from it. Line 1 in the sonnet begins with an interesting...
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...Sonnet 146 Denise Kontara William Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 146' reads as an internal monologue, fundamentally the protagonist is addressing himself. Although the use of transition between multiple metaphors has often been critiqued. As Fred Hasson (2013) suggests “The metaphors are choppy, jumping quickly from the mansion to the worms, and then to Death eating man and vice-versa. The "cost" theme mixes uneasily with the soul/body comparison.”, through a powerful use of metaphor as well as religious notions, the poet brings light to the idea of materialism and earthly greed as catalysts for the souls entrapment in the body and furthermore addresses the potential escape from such boundaries into eternal life. Despite it's ability to appeal to both Christian and Non-Christian audiences, Sonnet 146 has been often declared one of Shakespeare's more Christian poems (David E. Anderson, 2005). This very accurately acts as a reflection of the poems context, with legal requirements on churches to read Psalms from The Book of Common Prayer monthly at the time. Richmond Noble (1940, p4) in 'Shakespeare's Biblical Knowledge' lists at least 135 Psalm references in Shakespeare's plays, also vouching for other such references in the sonnets. Shakespeare's awareness and furthermore use of several Pauline paradoxes becomes apparent through the close study of the thematic structure and development...
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...Sonnet 55 and Ozymandias Comparison Sonnet 55 is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed poems in the English language. It is one of a 154 series of sonnets written by Shakespeare. Though it is not confirmed who it is exactly the sonnet is directed at, we know that it is most likely a love interest or his best friend at the time. Ozymandias is another sonnet, written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poems name, Ozymandias, was a Greek name for the Egyptian Pharaoh, Rameses II. Sonnet 55 is a poem about a great love, or best friend of Shakespeare’s. According to many critics and readers, it is about time and immortalization. The poem directly begins with some words of assurance to his lover; no other memorials, however beautiful or permanent, can outdo this sonnet, which will live longer and shine brighter. He’s saying that that the rest of the world has to deal with war and other tragedies but this sonnet will escape both these. The purpose of his writings were to express his emotions and compassion for the person he loves (“But you shall shine more bright in these contents than unswept stone besmear’d with sluttish time” Lines 3-4). He also wanted to show how immortality can be obtained through stories or poetry (“The living record of your memory. ‘Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity” Lines 8-9). This poem is 14 lines long, and follows the rhyme scheme; abab, cdcd, efef. It also has an iambic parameter; “So till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this,...
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...English: poem analysis Compare in detail two or three poems by different poets, discussing the structure and form of each work. Give some idea of the importance of the structure in evaluating the meaning and impact of the poems. In the poem Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare and Mending Wall by Robert Frost the structure and form of the poems show the significant role on evaluating and highlighting the meaning of time. The two poems are formed completely different in the way the techniques and structure were used but they convey the similar hidden meaning. As one of the characteristic of the usual Shakespearean Sonnets, Sonnet 18 formed as fourteen lines of iambic pentameter with a varied rhyme scheme. It contains 3 quatrains which state the problem leading to the couplet which expresses the theme of the sonnet and presents the solution. Unlike other Shakespearean sonnets, this sonnet is quite easier and understandable than other sonnets because the way he structured the sonnet is simple. At the first glance, the poem simply gives us the idea that how Shakespeare describes his lover by comparing ‘thee’ as summer’s day. Basically, the first quatrain shows the features of summer that followed by the first line of the poem “shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” After this line, the poet stated the features of summer until line 7. 7th line explains how the summer’s day beauty will fade away by the changing of time and the 8th line stated that thee’s eternal summer day...
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...A love sonnet to Jesus crucified is a dear expression of true and pure love for our savior,Jesus Christ.This sonnet portrays the author's intimate love and relationship with Jesus.The poem was originally written in Spanish and has been translated the best possible into English.Although it is believed that the entire beauty of the poem was unable to be interpreted into a language other than its original dialect,The poem is an ideal masterpiece that can be associated and reflected on during the time of lent.The original author is unknown,but the poem was translated in English by Andrew M. Greenwell.It is notable that the author has a strong connection with God.”A love sonnet to Jesus crucified”speaks for itself,showing a powerful message of gratitude...
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...By Marie Kalinina IIIc.2 eng. Sonnet 90 by William Shakespeare Sonnet 90 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It is a member of the Fair Youth sequence, in which the poet expresses his love towards a young man. The sonnet continues the themes of the breakdown of the relationship between the youth and the poet. The poet suggests that the youth should reject him now that everyone seems to be against him. The poet exhorts the youth not to wait to reject him until after these other, less important, sorrows have passed. At least if he is rejected now, his other problems will pale into insignificance. Sonnet 90 continues directly from the previous sonnet, which ended, "For thee, against myself I'll vow debate / For I must ne'er love him whom thou dost hate." In the final couplet of Sonnet 89, the word "hate" proves a shocking contrast to the speaker's usual use of the word "love," and it is echoed here in the line one of Sonnet 90: "Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now." In the conventions of the sonnet, "hate" means a beloved's disdain more than the modern-day meaning of the word. This sonnet also continues the downward spiral of loss and wretchedness that began with the sense of a final separation in Sonnet 87: "Farewell, thou art too dear for my possessing." However, the reality of the separation is up in the air. It is unclear whether it has already occurred, or whether it is impending. The use of the word "if" in line...
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