Sonnet 75

“Sonnet 75″

“One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
Again I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tide, and made my pains his prey. Vain man, said she, that doest in vain assay
A mortal thing so to immortalize,
For I myself shall like to this decay,
And eek my name be wiped out likewise. Not so (quoth I), let baser things devise
To die in dust, but you shall live by fame:
My verse your virtues rare shall eternize,
And in the heavens write your glorious name. Where when as Death shall all the world subdue,
Out love shall live, and later life renew.”

Diction: the author’s choice of words in this sonnet would be written formally because of the poetic and literary devices used, the author uses (imagery, alliteration, repetitiveness, and symbolism) in the sonnet to depict the depth of his writing. The language he uses would be considered lyrical and flowery, the author uses this language to convey the excessive sentimental meaning of this sonnet to the reader but, also contain rhythm poetry about his romance with his lover/wife and emotional experience with this event also. The author includes a dialogue in his poem as the lover/wife confronts him on what she calls a [vain act, pointing out that he cannot immortalize a mortal thing like love. She continues to tell him that even if he could, she is a mortal human being and will eventually die. The author then responds to her statements confidently, claiming that he can immortalize her virtues and his love for her in his poetry, and that when they die on earth, their love will still live and that he will write her name in the heavens where it will stay forever and they shall start a new life there together.] The author’s use of dialogue is vast in sonnet 75, the dialogue does indeed differ from the narrative voice because, it is depicting the sentiment of the sonnet and emotion through the dialogue, rather than a narrative voice explaining the story or chain or actions of an event. The diction of the sonnet is relevant to the sonnet as a whole because, it works together, hand in hand to depict and display the emotion of the sonnet. And the persistence displayed to eternalize a mortal feeling and experience through the power of writing.
Syntax: the authors sentences are written complexly to convey the emotion used in the making of this sonnet, the length of the authors sentences are medium to long in length, send a direct idea of what is meant and are such length because of the vast dialogue use. The level of formality used is arranged in a highly particular way to convey the meaning of the sonnet without carrying the length of a paragraph. No fragments or rhetorical questions are used in the sonnet. But the author does write in metrically regular lines which make great use of alliteration: In line two he wrote "waves and washed", in line three "wrote it with", in line four "pains his pray", in line ten "die in dust", in line eleven "verse your virtues", in line thirteen "Where when as", and in line fourteen "love shall live" and "later life". The metrical regularity of alliteration provides a smooth background for the poem and makes it flow smoothly. The author does involve repetition with words such as “decay,” “die,” “death”. The author excellently executes the use of syntax’s to create a rhythm and smooth flow throughout the sonnet. The use of syntax’s as well does enhance the effect of the sonnet by the order of the sentences and depth of each with their flowery, lyrical language used. They support the meaning of the sonnet by causing a dramatic, romantic flair that touches the reader of the sonnet to a warm spot in their heart for the familiar feeling of that soft spot for their love in their life. The poem is organized with stanzas in 3 quatrains and a final couplet. (STANZA 1): The first quatrain describes the author writing his lover’s name on the sand. Yet, the very next moment, the waves swallow them up and the letters vanish away. In the verse “Again I wrote it with a second hand”, we can see how the author strives once more to leave his writing upon the beach, only to see it quickly disappear. We can understand the author’s endless, but futile effort to immortalize something that is mortal. At the same time the writing of the lady's name, which is the central image of the poem, is transferred from earth to heaven. Here we learn that time is the destroyer of all things but, the author perseveres with determination to engrave his love on the walls of time. (STANZA 2): In this quatrain, the sonnet states that the author's lover did not have the confidence in his efforts of trying to immortalize his love towards her. She argued it is a mere waste of time and effort, as love is a mortal thing as the phrase "A mortal thing so to immortalize". She will be “washed away” just like her name was washed away by the tide. The lover tell the author that he needs to stop what he is doing and is vain for his efforts as everyone in the world will eventually have to die as time and tide waits for no man. She wanted him to know that his actions were only futile and that there is nothing he could do to control the immortality of their love because immortality itself does not exist. The lover only meant for her partner to accept the cruel and harsh realities of life that nothing can last forever. (STANZA 3): In the third quatrain, the author claims that he can make their love last forever despite mortality. He says he can do this by using his verse. He goes on to say that when people die, (because people do die because they are mortal) that everyone will still have knowledge of their love because it will be eternal. The line “My verse your virtues rare shall eternize". Despite the fact of the poet's beloved discouraging him, he never did give up but instead he proved his point by immortalizing his love towards his wife through his words and writing elements. And now even though both he and his wife are long gone from the phase of this earth, but the everlasting love the author had towards his wife will always be known and remembered for more generations to come. Just as he promised, to use his verse as a tool to immortalize her virtue for as long as it will be. (Final Couplet): Shows a contrast between their immortal love and other things that will die with the passage of time. The capitalized world “Death” shows how it will brutally destroy all other things except for their love, which will be renewed by the presence of the sonnet. This couplet embraces the theme of the poem that their love will not fade away like other mortal things on earth. The stanzas and syntax’s are used in such a way that it is no surprise the sonnet has been known for generations.
Tone: the authors tone through the sonnet is formal with persistence of love and romance, the tone shifts throughout the dialogue to depict the differences between the author and his lover/wife’s views. The author uses these different points of views from the author and his lover/wife to create the tone of the sonnet which conveys as persistent determined love. The tone of the sonnet works hand in hand with the meaning of the sonnet cause just as he promised his lover/wife that their love will be immortalized.. Well it has been through his sonnets especially sonnet 75 for her.