In quatrain 3, Shakespeare carries on the argument with two rhetorical questions, which tell us how insecure and uncertain the persona is about his lover being faithful and honest, and also about himself wanting to believe that he is still youthful. The next lines exhibit the relief, “O!” In believing in what appears to true and yet know that it is a lie, and realizing that time is an enemy to lovers. “Seeming trust,” and, “and age in love loves not to have years told.”
In the rhyming couplet, the response to the experience of being an older person in love with a woman who is unfaithful and dishonest; is shown. The double meaning of, ‘lie,’ being deceitful and to lie down with, is evident in the collusion between the lovers that this is the best course of action for them both and it suffices for them both. His physical needs are met and so are hers, “And in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.” Shakespeare depicts a realistic and ironically honest representation of the best way to maintain love between these two lovers.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet, “XLLIII,” is split up into two sections, an octave and a sestet. The sonnet is about love again, but the qualities of love. As before, when Petrarch was writing about his lost lover Laura, this time Barrett Browning is talking about her present lover, Robert Browning. Elizabeth Barrett, who met Robert Browning in 1845, fell deeply in love with him. Robert was also a poet, who admired Elizabeth’s poetry and her techniques, which she used in her sonnets. A man named Kenyon who was wealthy and a convivial friend of the arts introduced the couple. But years later, their relationship turned from great to sour. Robert Browning disinherited Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s emotions are expressed in, ‘sonnets from the Portuguese.’ The sonnet I am writing about; sonnet, “XLLIII,” was written before any conflict occurred between the two people, and that is why her sonnet is about her love for him.
The octave contains the amount of ways that Elizabeth loves Browning. She begins with a rhetorical question in line one, and then answers it in the rest of the octave. Rhetorical listing is used in the octave to emphasise how much the persona loves their beloved. “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth, breadth, and height my soul can reach.” This carries on throughout the octave. “I love thee,” is repeated throughout the sonnet to answer the rhetorical question. Basically, the octave tells the reader that the love between the two characters is extremely strong.
The sestet of sonnet, “XLIII,” carries on the amount of ways that Elizabeth loves her beloved, but this time she goes over the top. She extends her love for Browning by using religious imagery, and metaphorical language. An example of this is, “I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints.” This tells us that her love for him is so strong that she has given up her love and faith in god (spirits) in exchange for his love. The last line of the sonnet extends her love even further, when she says that when she dies, she will love him even more. “And, if god choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
As each sonnet is different in subject, they are also different in their movement. Each sonnet has a unique way of carrying on the story. The way that the movement is produced, is by the technique used in writing and language, but also it moves under the influence of the structure of the sonnet. For example, Shakespeare’s sonnet changes course at the end of each quatrain, whereas the other two sonnets change course at the end of the octave.
Petrarch’s sonnet is separated into two sections meaning that there are two arguments. The first part of the sonnet is all about how Petrarch is searching for his lover Laura, and about their relationship between each other. “A thousand times to make my peace I sought.” After the octave, Petrarch changes the search for love, to the journey of love, by creating a journey for his heart. He uses language, which makes the heart sound as if it is a character. The rhyming couplet helps conclude the sonnet by compressing all the information in the sonnet, and creating an answer for it. Fundamentally, the sonnet moves on from an octave, which describes the search for love, and then onto a sestet, which describes the journey of love, and then onto a rhyming couplet, which concludes their love.
The movement of Shakespeare’s sonnet compared to Petrarch’s sonnet is very different. First of all the structure is different. Shakespeare’s sonnet is split up into four quatrains and a rhyming couplet. He has separated it in this way to portray different arguments. The first quatrain is the introduction of the argument. It gives and idea of what is happening, and tells us the experience of being in love. The second quatrain continues the argument, but develops it more by giving more information. The third quatrain is an expansion of the argument by asking a rhetorical question, and finally, the rhyming couplet concludes, undermines, and basically finishes the sonnet. The first thing that I spotted about the movement is how it connects to the subject of the sonnet. As said before, the sonnet is partly about how someone finds the female character unfaithful and unchaste; but the male keeps on believing her because he is unsure. The first two quatrains are reasons why the male is unsure about the female, but then in the third quatrain, a rhetorical question is used to create an unsure feeling, which connects to the subject of the sonnet. Again, at the end of the sonnet, the last two lines conclude the sonnet by involving both characters, which is almost identical to the ending of Petrarch’s sonnet. Basically, the structure changes from reasons for believing her, to being unsure about her.
The movement of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet is similar to that of Petrarch’s sonnet. This is because her sonnet is also split up into an octave and a sestet. The octave and sestet help move the subject from one to the other by separating the sonnet into two sections. The first part of the sonnet is all about how many ways the persona loves their beloved. This carries on throughout the octave. The sestet moves on to amplify the love coming from Elizabeth to Browning. There is no direct link to the subject and the movement of this sonnet.
Imagery and language is an important ingredient in sonnets. A sonnet is not attractive without them. Each of the sonnets I have chosen all contain various types of imagery and language, which help emphasise the whole subject of the poem. The type of imagery and language used, ranges from metaphorical language to puns, and hyperbolic language, and similes. Without these products in the sonnets, it would be hard to understand what is going on. I think that the most affective use of imagery and language is in Petrarch’s sonnet, “XXL.” I have come to this conclusion because he has used Metaphorical language throughout his sonnet by using a heart as a character. He also uses a wide range of language from hyperbolic language to antinomy. Shakespeare’s sonnet also contains a lot of metaphorical language, but also uses many puns, which make the sonnet more difficult to understand. I think that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet uses a lot of imagery, but only straightforward imagery, and it uses various types of language.
Petrarch’s sonnet contains a variety of types of imagery and language, which help emphasise the search for Laura, Petrarch’s lover. The types of imagery used are metaphorical imagery, puns, antinomy, and many more. The first line of the sonnet starts of by saying, “A thousand times to make my peace I sought.” This line contains metaphorical language and hyperbolic language. It gives us the impression that the persona has been searching for her for a long time. It almost exaggerates it, to emphasise how much he wants to find her. ‘Peace,’ and, ‘sought,’ are good uses of metaphorical language. It gives us the impression of a war and a hunt for something. Antinomy is used in the second line, where Petrarch writes, “O my sweet warrior foe.” The two words sweet, and warrior oppose each other. He is saying that she is sweet, but she is also against him, she doesn’t like him. In the third and fourth lines, Petrarch elevates Laura to the highest point possible, as a proud spirit. “Had your proud spirit to look down so low.” This is a great use of metaphorical language, because Petrarch is comparing her to a godly figure. The last word of line four contains the word, “enchain.” This word gives us connotations with capture, imprisonment.
In the last four lines of the Petrarchan sonnet, and also throughout the rest of the sonnet, Petrarch’s heart is referred to as, “my heart, that heart, it is no longer mine.” This is a use of metaphorical language again. Petrarch has made the heart a person, giving it movement and decisions. For example, the heart has left its rightful place to stay with Laura. “If driven forth, it cannot find at all, harbour with you upon its wandering way.” Along with the metaphorical use of the heart, Petrarch has added more imagery to support it. Words like, “driven, stand alone, stray,” give a better view of the hearts journey. In the rhyming couplet, metaphorical language is used once again. “On both our souls this heavy sin will rest, but most on yours, for you my heart loves best.” The metaphorical language is used to emphasise how heavy the sin is between them. This sentence could also be hyperbolic because Petrarch is over – exaggerating how much of a sin this is. There is also metaphorical language on the last sentence of the rhyming couplet, where the heart is portrayed as a character, and that it loves Laura best.
Shakespeare’s sonnet contains a wide range of imagery and language, from hyperbolic language, to metaphorical language and similes. The first line of the sonnet contains a play on words; a pun on the word, ‘made.’ This word could also be depicted as a maid. A servant. Metaphorical language is used on the word, ‘swears.’ “When my love swears that she is made of truth.” This is metaphorical because love cannot swear. The end words of the first two lines contain an opposition in verbs. ‘Truth,’ and, ‘lies,’ are both unique because they are juxtaposing each other. Also, the words portray the whole story; that the sonnet is all about telling the truth and telling lies. Not only are there these two types of language and imagery, but also there is also a pun on the word ‘lies.’ Shakespeare has been very clever in writing these two words, by using three types of imagery in one. As said before, the word, ‘lie,’ is about how the female character could be lying, or even lying down with somebody else, and lying about it. This imagery runs throughout the sonnet, and on a couple of the ends of lines. For example, the idea of his age is shown in various lines. “Untutor’d youth… thinks me young… I am old.” The metaphorical language is repeated throughout the sonnet. For example, “her false- speaking tongue.” This is also a pun because it is implying that she is lying. The use of two rhetorical questions in quatrain three helps change the topic of the subject. The question helps make the persona sound even more unsure. The end two lines of the rhetorical question contain again metaphorical language and puns. “Therefore I lie with her, and she with me, and in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.” There is a pun on the word, ‘lie.’ Again this is a double meaning where both characters are lying, and also lying down. Basically the imagery and language used in this sonnet helps bring out the real subject.
Elizabeth Browning’s sonnet is a very unique style of imagery and language. The first thing that strikes the reader is the rhetorical question in the first line. As the rest of the lines answer the question, they use rhetorical listing to emphasise how many ways the persona loves their beloved. Almost all of the answers begin with, “I love thee…” none of the other two sonnets contained this type of language, and this is why this sonnet is different from them both. Inimitable language and imagery runs throughout the answers in the octave and the sestet to emphasise how much love there is. The second and third line of the sonnet contains a very clever piece of metaphorical language. “I love thee to the depth, breadth, and height my soul can reach.” This is exceptional because Browning is using dimensions to compare the love coming from the persona. Also this sentence is rhetorically listed in a hyperbolic form to emphasise that particular answer, and it contains religious imagery on the word soul. This use of metaphorical language in the rhetorical listing is very superior because it helps bring out the real subject. The sestet contains religious metaphorical language, “My lost saints… if god choose.” Rhetorical listing is also used again in the sestet. Also, the feeling of senses is used in the sestet, in the rhetorical listing. This is a type of visual imagery. Browning has used feelings to emphasise the amount of love involved between the two characters. “I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life.” This sentence also contains hyperbolic language on the part of, ‘all my life.’ All this language and imagery used in this sonnet help influence the subject and help give a picture of the setting the sonnet would be in.
Every sonnet has a certain emotion to it. Emotion consists of two main ingredients, mood and atmosphere. After reading all three sonnets, and comparing each one, I have mutual feelings towards them all. Each of the three sonnets has separate ways of depicting their point. For example, the Petrarch and Browning sonnet use an octave and a sestet to separate their arguments, whereas Shakespeare uses three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. They all equally portray their arguments even though they have different structures. Also, each sonnet has their own way of using language and imagery. Petrarch concentrated on using Metaphorical language and religious imagery, Shakespeare concentrated on using puns, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning concentrated on using rhetorical listing and again metaphorical language.
I think that the first two lines of Petrarch’s sonnet give the atmosphere and mood of a war. I think that Petrarch has been clever in doing this because the actual subject of the sonnet is the total opposite to war, but love. Words such as, “Peace, warrior, and foe,” make me come to this decision. But in those same two lines, the words, “fair,” and, “sweet,” are included. This also gives the mood that the sonnet could also be about love. In the third and fourth lines, the mood and atmosphere change from a war feeling to a love/religious feeling. This is because of words such as, “Heart, proud spirit.” After the fourth line, the picture becomes clear that there is unrequited love, and the atmosphere changes from, love to obsession, fixation, and sadness. This is because of the way that Petrarch has used the heart to symbolise as a person. There is also the atmosphere of security because of the way that he has used the heart to protect Laura. “Harbour with you upon its wandering way.” The word, ‘harbour,’ gives us the mood of protection. The line, “nor stand alone, nor go where others call,” gives the feeling of dedication, because he is offering his heart to stay with Laura, and nobody else. The last two lines of the sonnet give the mood of condemning and love. This is good because there are two opposing moods that are both equally important. There is the mood of condemning when Petrarch puts the blame on Laura about not accepting his love, “… this heavy sin will rest, but most on yours, for you my heart loves best.”
I think that there are only two main types of mood and atmosphere in Shakespeare’s sonnet. One where everything seems uncertain and unsure and one where everything is all about lying. Throughout the majority of the sonnet, the persona has involved the idea of deceitfulness. This is one major aspect of the sonnet, and it gives a tensional atmosphere. Also, the mood of being unsure is there because of the way that Shakespeare has written his sonnet, and the way that he has used his vocabulary. He uses many techniques to depict the mood of being unsure; by suing rhetorical questions, and words that contribute to the idea of being unsure; not only words, but also the sentences that the words are in. Sentences such as, “I do believe her, though I know she lies.” The words in italics are the words that emphasise how unsure the persona is. There are many more occasions where this technique is used, but there are not many more different moods and atmospheres. I think that Shakespeare has decided to do this so that there is a constant mood and atmosphere running through the readers mind while reading the sonnet.
Rhythm and rhyme play a major part in sonnets as well as Imagery and language. The rhythm of a sonnet helps the sonnet to manipulate the subject. Without a rhythm, a sonnet would be a story. The rhyme of a sonnet helps give the poem effect. Certain poets such as Shakespeare use rhyming to depict an argument. They can rhyme words that have multiple meanings and they can use words that portray a subject. The sonnets I have chosen all have similar sorts of rhythm and rhyme. I think that Petrarch and Shakespeare’s sonnet both go at a steady pace whereas Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet goes a lot faster. I also think that Shakespeare uses rhyming more affectively than the other two poets, whereas Browning uses it in consistency; and I believe that Petrarch only rhymes his words because he has to.
I think that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet uses rhythm more effectively than she uses rhyming. She has used techniques to create a fast pace, but she has not used words at the end of her lines that can connect in any way to the actual sonnet. By far, Browning’s sonnet goes faster than the other three sonnets because of the way she has used rhetorical listing. The rhetorical listing makes the sonnet look like a list, so therefore it makes the reader read the sonnet faster than usual. Also, unlike the other two sonnets, hers is faster because of her short and simple lines. To have short lines makes it easier to read. The rhyme scheme of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet is, ABBAABBA CDCDCD. As said earlier, Browning only uses the effect of rhyming on consistency. For example, unlike Shakespeare’s sonnet, she has not used any words on the ends of her lines, which have double meanings. None of the words at the end of her lines depict an argument. Barrett Browning uses the catchphrase, “I love thee….” She uses this on numerous occasions throughout the sonnet. She has manipulated this well because it emphasises how much she loves her beloved. After the catchphrase is told, an adjective is usually written. For example, “I love thee purely.” When the adjective is read, it usually is emphasised, meaning that there is a strain on the word. “I love thee freely,” is another example of how the adjectives are used. Also in the sonnet, words which are separated by commas and, ‘and,’ are also emphasised. What I mean is that by using rhetorical listing, each word is said with thought. They are the words that stand out from the rest. A few examples, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height,” and, “I love thee with the breath, smiles and tears.” The words that are in italics are the words that are emphasised, and the characters, which are emboldened, are the things that help to emphasise these words. There are not as many techniques using rhyme in this sonnet compared to Shakespeare’s and Petrarch’s, except for the ones that I have expressed. I think that Browning has chosen to this because the rhetorical listing helped emphasise the love, and she wanted to make the sonnet very straightforward.
Petrarch’s sonnet is a much slower paced sonnet compared to Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s. This is because of the long sentences used and the lack of techniques used, such as rhetorical listing. Almost each and every sentence contains three to four lines of writing. This is almost double compared to Browning’s. Words in the poem such as, ‘thousand… sweet warrior… low,’ are all very well manipulated. These words are all emphasised because of their position in the line. Because of their position, the words can be strained. Also, a lot of the strained words have a substantiated meaning. Also, there are links between a lots of the words in the sonnet. For example, the words, ‘my… that… it,’ all come before the word heart. These words are all strained to emphasise whose the heart is. Basically, the sonnet has a slow paced rhythm, and it uses rhyming effectively.
I think that Shakespeare’s sonnet has used the technique of rhythm and rhyming the most effectively. His rhythm is slow paced and his rhyming is exceptional. His rhyme scheme is, ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The rhyming in Shakespeare’s sonnet is very unique; because of the way Shakespeare has combined the techniques of rhyming and puns. For example, the first quatrain uses the end words of the lines to create a summary of what the subject is about. ‘Truth, lies, youth, subtleties.’ Are all words that connect to the subject of the sonnet. Starting of with the first two words, ‘truth and lies,’ which both oppose each other and both, give a short summary of what the sonnet is about. It is about telling the truth and telling lies. But Shakespeare has gone that extra bit ahead and used a pun on the word, ‘lies.’ It is a pun because; it could also mean that the female is lying down with someone else. Again in the third line of the sonnet, Shakespeare has used the word, ‘youth.’ This is also clever because it rhymes very well with the word truth, and also contributes to the subject of the sonnet; because age plays a big part. The word, ‘subtleties,’ also plays a part in the meaning of the sonnet, but not such a big one. It rhymes with the word lies, and also has the meaning that the world has false feelings, it is intensive. Certain parts in the sonnet have been specially created to be emphasised. What I mean is that when reading the poem, certain words seem to stand out from the rest, because of the tome of voice and the context the words are in. for example, “simply I credit her false-speaking tongue.” The last part of the sentence seems to stand out more than the beginning of the sentence. Shakespeare has done this for a reason, to give meaning to the words that he has specially placed. “False-speaking tongue,” is again another reminder from Shakespeare that one of the characters is lying. Another example of a word that stands out from the rest is in the third quatrain, just after the rhetorical question. “O!” Shakespeare has hugely emphasised this word to give meaning to it. It is a sign of relief. This sort of emphasis on words continues throughout the sonnet to give meaning and life to it. Basically, the rhythm and rhyming is by far the most unique of the three sonnets.
In conclusion, I think that Shakespeare’s sonnet 138 was by far the most exceptional sonnet out of the three that I have chosen. I think this because of his motivating subject, and the way he has used different techniques of language and imagery. I think that his sonnet depicts the subject of love very well. Petrarch’s sonnet was the second best sonnet out of the three, again for its subject. I felt that it didn’t compose of the same ingredients as Shakespeare’s sonnet, and it didn’t contain as many uses of language and imagery as Shakespeare’s did. I found that Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet was not as good as the other two because of the way she used very little language and imagery, and because of the way that her subject was constant throughout the sonnet. All three sonnets portrayed their subject well, and used many techniques such as imagery and rhyme, which helped the reader understand each sonnet more.
