Name- Ishita Trivedi
Grade – 10M
Subject – English
Mar’s favourite Rhyme
Written by William Shakespeare the renowned “Sonnet 55” is a lyrical poem that effectively states his idea of immortality. Throughout the three quatrains Shakespeare portrays the subject and certain aspects of the theme as stated in the couplet. The profound theme that the poet explores is the mightiness of words over time. The persona addresses his beloved, recounting how her beauty shall live on till eternity in “this powerful rhyme” outracing all the precious monuments and stones in this arduous race against time. The use of the figurative languages in this poem illuminates how words can outweigh death, and immortality can continue to live on.
The persona commences the sonnet with lines: “Not marble, nor the glided monuments/ Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme”. These two lines immediately funnel the reader towards the theme of the poem as the persona symbolically compares the monuments to the lyrics of poems. The persona believes that poetry is a preserver of immortality. He immediately confronts the reader with the subject of this poem – ‘preserver of immortality’, by using imagery and diction such as “gilded monuments”. These beautiful gold plated monuments are built in the remembrance of the princes and preserve their memories. However as the poet compares the power of poetry to monument in the next line he also announces to the reader his idea of immortality. The poet believes that immortality can outlive time through “these contents” however the monuments surrender to the age of time as the persona explains in the next quatrain.
In the next quatrain, the persona further explores the theme however through a different comparison. Throughout this quatrain the poet supports his views about immortality by comparing the mightiness of this poetry, which is preserving immortality, against war, that shall destroy everything. The poet personifies war as “wasteful war” which when shall “overturns statues”, and destroys everything. However “these contents”, the sonnet, will still live on until eternity. Overcoming war itself is a strong representation of the strength of words of this lyrical poem. The persona further glorifies the power of this “powerful” poem by using strong allusions such as “Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn/ The living record of your memory.” Mars being a powerful Roman god of war is also observed as the God of death. His sword is said to burn every vital soul; however, Mar’s power can not destroy the personified “living records” of the persona’s beloved. The power of the sonnet above all “obvious enmities” is exposed by this allusion as the poem not only survives against all natural and human forces but also out rules war and death.
Furthermore, this power of the sonnet, to live on until the “ending doom”, is supported in the next lines that the persona quotes – “Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room/ Even in the eyes of all prosperity”. In these lines the persona addresses directly to the beauty of his beloved. He argues that on the day when the mortal world comes to an end, the sonnet shall still find praise, even in the eyes of the “posterity” that brought the devastating destruction.
The persona ends the beautiful sonnet by sharing his thought about the about the judgment in the couplets. The persona explains that after the destruction of the world, as explained in the couplets, until the judgement day the persona’s beloved shall live on in this sonnet. She shall “arise [herself]” to such height that soon she’ll be standing forth with her lover, the persona of the poem. The final lines of the sonnet support the theme of the poem by expressing how the persona will live on and “dwell in the lover’s eyes” until the end of time. Also in the couplet, the poet finally reveals the theme of the sonnet – How immortality can live through words, the poem, out lasting all other preservers of immortality like gilded monuments.
Throughout the sonnet Shakespeare has argued the dominance of words as the preserver of immortality over the beautiful stones and marbles. He reflects on the theme of the poem throughout the three quatrains using different comparisons and other figurative languages. The poet uses strong allusion such as to create an impression of the power of words in the readers mind. The figurative languages used in the poem leave the reader convinced the poetry is the ultimate preserver of immortality. The persona believes that this poem will continue to live on until the last soul in this world reads it, making the sonnet eternal. It will surpass all the human efforts and ravages of time to preserve the eternal beauty in the sonnet.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”…
- 461 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
A sonnet is a form of lyric poetry with fourteen lines and a specific rhyme scheme. (Lyric poetry presents the deep feelings and emotions of the poet as opposed to poetry that tells a story or presents a witty observation.)…
- 376 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Love, Not Life, Lasts Forever In William Shakespeare?s Sonnet "73," the speaker invokes a series of metaphors to characterize the nature of his old age. The structure of the sonnet also contributes to the meaning of the poem. In the first quatrain, there is the final season of a year; then, in the second quatrain, only the final hours of a day; and then, in the third quatrain, the final minutes of a fire, before the couplet resolves the argument. The metaphors begin in the first quatrain and continue throughout the sonnet, as one by one they are destroyed, just like the life that is being spoken about. This poem is not simply a procession of interchangeable metaphors; it is the story of the speaker slowly realizing the finality of his life and his impermanence in time. Through the use of the structure of "Sonnet 73" and the metaphors that describe the speaker?s death, Shakespeare conveys that while life may be short, if one can love during that lifetime, that love can live forever.…
- 1070 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More 2012, Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood 1804, accessed 15 October 2012…
- 1220 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Although young people may profess to love life, no one can truly understand the journey from birth to death as much as one who is nearing their conclusion of it. Both Robert Burns’ “John Anderson, My Jo” and Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73” convey the idea that aging brings forth an appreciation for life and love while also holding a realistic view that death is inescapable. In “Sonnet 73,” aging strengthens the love between a couple, while in “John Anderson, My Jo” age is accepted by an elderly couple and used as a symbol of their love for one another. As both speakers age and near death, a newfound respect for love is found through the realization that love is not merely a physical emotion. Though the speakers deal with the decay of their youth in different ways, both works find a common theme by discussing partners in a relationship dealing with the aging of their loved ones. Both of these partners also come to terms with age in the works, accepting it as a natural and inevitable process. The refusals of the lovers to let the physical diminishments of growing older create a gap between them results in a stronger bond while adding importance to the fading aspect of youth.…
- 725 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Sonnet 2 and Sonnet 63 both have goals of living on with age. will In both sonnets, age is described as being weary and having a forehead filled with wrinkles. Also, disappearing beauty is a recurring factor that disappears on both of the passages. As long as there is a bloodline to continue the reign of the family, being the parents, their beauty will never die. Furthermore, as long as poetry is still remains actively read, it will never die, and therefore, stay young.…
- 551 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
This sonnet consists on the defence of true love. The meaning of true love is described as an ever-fixed mark, something, a feeling that nothing can destroy. The first quatrain describes true love as unmoral and unchanging. True love can not be changed by its own nor allows itself to be changed even though the person who is loved changes. Shakespeare explains his thoughts on love. He defines true love as constant, an “ever-fixed mark”. If love is altered and shaken, it was never true love, since he explains that true love will never be shaken as if it was something that we couldn’t reach and touch, if we are able to reach it, it was never high enough and therefore never true love. In the second quatrain true love is compared to a star which guides people as if people where lost and could be all guided to the same place by this unreachable star. This star is described as unnatural and indescribable, something unknown although we seek it and feel it, we never reach it if it is really true. If this star disappears that means that it was never real, it was just an illusion: true love will never disappear. In Shakespeare’s time, science of stars had still not very much progressed, therefore he uses it as an example of something which we know nothing about, love is a mystery that we can feel and see but we know nothing about. This metaphor emphasises the constancy and…
- 622 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
If one were to ever receive a love poem, Shakespeare's Sonnet 43 would be and excellent poem to receive. The sonnet is addressed to the beloved of the speaker. The speaker talks about how the best thing he sees is upon the closing of his eyes, when he then pictures the beloved. The speaker talks about how the rest of the world is unworthy to look upon compared to the beloved. The speaker talks about how sleep is the best time, because that is when he can see the beloved in his dreams. Day is like night, dreary with waiting for the night to come, in order to see the beloved again. This sonnet is pretty much straight forward with what it says, but there are some examples of some literary techniques incorporated within the poem.…
- 839 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Even though Shakespeare’s sonnets were written over four-hundred years ago, they have stood the test of time and have remained popular because of the issues and ideas they raise are about humans and human nature, which are both unchanging over time. Sonnet 18, Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?, is the best known sonnet out of the 154 written by William Shakespeare. This particular piece of writing still remains just as, if not more popular today, than it did during Shakespeare’s time. This is due to the depth of emotion and romantic language used, which is constantly touching the hearts of…
- 1092 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
John Donne’s sonnet entitled “Divine Sonnet X” looks closely at death and Donne fervently writes about his views on death and his strong belief that death should not be feared, but embraced. Donne personifies death all throughout his poem as he challenges death by stating that death is not the “mighty and dreadful” part of life that most people fear, but rather an escape from life where people can be at peace like they are when they are sleeping. Donne is literally conversing with death, and pleading his case that death is weak and will never claim victory over men. “Divine Sonnet X” is comprised of poetic devices and vocabulary that not only enhance the power of the message that Donne is trying to convey, but also greatly signifies his theme. Donne’s use of metaphors is commonplace in his sonnet which clearly outlines his purpose. The most prominent device used in this sonnet is Donne’s use of personification. Personification is crucial to his sonnet as it pulls the reader in and aids them in believing in his pursuit to prove that death is not powerful. Used when describing death, personification encapsulates the poem’s intended purpose. The poem uses this poetic device along with Donne’s influential views to convey that death is not strong; it is weak, nor is it worthy of fear or awe.…
- 1013 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In "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 summer's 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, personification, repetition, and progression of tone, Shakespeare reveals his theme that the natural world is imperfect and transitory while his love is made eternal through his lines of poetry.…
- 1401 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Judging from the title of this poem; most readers may assume that this poem revolves around the theme of young people. Yet; upon close analysis; it is evident that this poem revolves around the theme of destruction and horrors which are caused by a war. In line with this; it should be noted that the writer of the poem was heavily critical of war as he once served in as an army in World war One. Or rather; it could be said that the theme of the poem is closely related to the writer’s personal experience. The conflict between humankind and religion could also be seen in the poem. Nevertheless; the techniques incorporated in the poem had largely highlighted the conflicts in war and how it affects humankind.…
- 1597 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
The sonnet, being one of the most traditional and recognized forms of poetry, has been used and altered in many time periods by writers to convey different messages to the audience. The strict constraints of the form have often been used to parallel the subject in the poem. Many times, the first three quatrains introduce the subject and build on one another, showing progression in the poem. The final couplet brings closure to the poem by bringing the main ideas together. On other occasions, the couplet makes a statement of irony or refutes the main idea with a counter statement. It leaves the reader with a last impression of what the author is trying to say. Shakespeare's "Sonnet 65" is one example of Shakespearian sonnet form and it works with the constraints of this structure to question how one can escape the ravages of time on love and beauty. Shakespeare shows that even the objects in nature least vulnerable to time like brass, stone, and iron are mortal and eventually are destroyed. Of course the more fragile aspects of nature will die if these things do. The final couplet gives hope and provides a solution to the dilemma of time by having the author overcome mortality with his immortal writings.…
- 1885 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
William Shakespeare is one of the most well-known writers of all time. His sonnets are timeless and his plays are performed again and again. Much of his history is known, but can also be considered a little cloudy. He seemed to be a sarcastic man not necessarily loved by all. I enjoy his plays, but personally love his sonnets best of all. Knowing the controversy surrounding his life, “Sonnet 71” offers a slight insight into all of that.…
- 1280 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The sonnet has many themes that relate to the main reason the sonnet was written. Beauty is inferred to in the poem as the speakers love is compared to the summer which is also beautiful. The speaker says his the person he loves is everlastingly beautiful and how beauty fades away but the his loves beauty is always constant. The speaker starts to illustrate a picture in the readers mind that the love is a perfect being. This is another way he increases his glorification by showing how he can immortalize a great person in his writing. Another theme of this sonnet is immortality. "Shakespeare advocates seeking immortality through poetry rather than through procreation"(Sonnet 18). In the previous 17 sonnets the speaker is more focused on getting his love immortalized by procreation. In sonnet 18 his vision changes and he is more focused on immortalization by poetry.…
- 1156 Words
- 3 Pages
Better Essays