Human Vulnerability In Shakespeare's 'In The English Sonnet 18'
Dyanette Arroyo
Sonnet Analysis Essay
Period. 3
Jan. 06. 2015
Shakespeare and Spencer explore human vulnerability within sonnets 54, 18, and 73. Each sonnet accounts love as the true vulnerability evidenced by the themes of admiration, frustration, and agony within the writing.
William Shakespeare asserts human vulnerability in Sonnet 18 by his admiration in the beauty of his lover through the beauty in nature. He begins without garishness, “shall I compare thee to a summer day” showing signs of admiration Shakespeare compares her to the simple beauty of a summer day, slowly he builds and amplifies her beauty, becoming “eternal”. “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date” Shakespeare compares her to how beautiful summer is, however, summer ends “but thy eternal summer shall not fade” indicating how her beauty never fades, evidenced by his wonderment to preserve her beauty Shakespeare displays signs of vulnerability, however, he exposes further, signs of arrogance within the last quatrain; …show more content…
“so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long live this and this give life to thee” conveying discomfort in his need to keep her beauty “eternal” by suggesting the poem itself is a fossil of her beauty and as long as the poem lives so shall her beauty, he shows vulnerability because he depends on a poem to keep her beauty alive.
In the English sonnet by Edmund Spencer Sonnet 54, the poet examines human vulnerability in this unrequited love, despite all his efforts, the poet delves into frustration due to the fact that the woman lacks of interest in him.
In the third quatrain spencer becomes frustrated by the virtue of his failure in impressing a women. “ Delights not in my mirth nor rues my smart: but when I laugh she mocks, and when I cry she laughs” spencer displays his frustration in his attempts while she ignores and rejects him by laughing and mocking his approach. In the final quatrain spencer clearly exposes vulnerability towards her indifference, “what then can move her?”, questioning himself, giving up. The poet’s frustration accumulates in the couplet “ she is no woman, but a senseless stone.” Proclaiming her to be emotionless, disclosing why his attempts had no effect he then admits defeat in that she will never requite his love making him
hopeless.
In sonnet 73 Shakespeare conveys human vulnerability in his agony towards moving further from youth. As his first quatrain, Shakespeare compares his age with nature: “ That time of year thou may'st in me behold.. yellow leaves or none… boughs which shake against cold” Shakespeare emphasizes his bitter tone towards his old age. In the second quatrain Shakespeare uses multiple metaphors comparing his old age to “twilight”, “as after sunset fadeth in the west” he displays his descending youth as fading like the sunset. Shakespeare exposes human vulnerability in his inability to oversee is old age, in his conclusive lines he expresses a young lover, “this thou perceives which makes thy love more strong”, and pleads him to oversee his old age, “ to love that well which thou must leave are long” to love for his youth will one day be dissolved, conveying his vulnerability in his agony and his plead to the young lover. Shakespeare and Spencer explore human vulnerability within sonnets 54, 18, and 73. Evidenced by themes of admiration, frustration and agony the true human vulnerability is alleged by love.
Sonnet Analysis Essay
Period. 3
Jan. 06. 2015
Shakespeare and Spencer explore human vulnerability within sonnets 54, 18, and 73. Each sonnet accounts love as the true vulnerability evidenced by the themes of admiration, frustration, and agony within the writing.
William Shakespeare asserts human vulnerability in Sonnet 18 by his admiration in the beauty of his lover through the beauty in nature. He begins without garishness, “shall I compare thee to a summer day” showing signs of admiration Shakespeare compares her to the simple beauty of a summer day, slowly he builds and amplifies her beauty, becoming “eternal”. “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date” Shakespeare compares her to how beautiful summer is, however, summer ends “but thy eternal summer shall not fade” indicating how her beauty never fades, evidenced by his wonderment to preserve her beauty Shakespeare displays signs of vulnerability, however, he exposes further, signs of arrogance within the last quatrain; …show more content…
“so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long live this and this give life to thee” conveying discomfort in his need to keep her beauty “eternal” by suggesting the poem itself is a fossil of her beauty and as long as the poem lives so shall her beauty, he shows vulnerability because he depends on a poem to keep her beauty alive.
In the English sonnet by Edmund Spencer Sonnet 54, the poet examines human vulnerability in this unrequited love, despite all his efforts, the poet delves into frustration due to the fact that the woman lacks of interest in him.
In the third quatrain spencer becomes frustrated by the virtue of his failure in impressing a women. “ Delights not in my mirth nor rues my smart: but when I laugh she mocks, and when I cry she laughs” spencer displays his frustration in his attempts while she ignores and rejects him by laughing and mocking his approach. In the final quatrain spencer clearly exposes vulnerability towards her indifference, “what then can move her?”, questioning himself, giving up. The poet’s frustration accumulates in the couplet “ she is no woman, but a senseless stone.” Proclaiming her to be emotionless, disclosing why his attempts had no effect he then admits defeat in that she will never requite his love making him
hopeless.
In sonnet 73 Shakespeare conveys human vulnerability in his agony towards moving further from youth. As his first quatrain, Shakespeare compares his age with nature: “ That time of year thou may'st in me behold.. yellow leaves or none… boughs which shake against cold” Shakespeare emphasizes his bitter tone towards his old age. In the second quatrain Shakespeare uses multiple metaphors comparing his old age to “twilight”, “as after sunset fadeth in the west” he displays his descending youth as fading like the sunset. Shakespeare exposes human vulnerability in his inability to oversee is old age, in his conclusive lines he expresses a young lover, “this thou perceives which makes thy love more strong”, and pleads him to oversee his old age, “ to love that well which thou must leave are long” to love for his youth will one day be dissolved, conveying his vulnerability in his agony and his plead to the young lover. Shakespeare and Spencer explore human vulnerability within sonnets 54, 18, and 73. Evidenced by themes of admiration, frustration and agony the true human vulnerability is alleged by love.