Analyse The Writers Use Of Language In The Sonnets Studied And Comment On Any Comparisons And Contrasts Between The Poems

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Michael Gilson 11s                                                                                                          

Analyse The Writers Use Of Language In The Sonnets Studied And Comment On Any Comparisons And Contrasts Between The Poems?

After studying all the Sonnets I have realised that they all use interesting language and there are many comparisons and contrasts, which one can make between them. The three sonnets, which I have studied, are ‘Let Me Not’ and ‘Shall I Compare Thee’ both by William Shakespeare and Donne sonnet number 10.

In the first quatrain of “Let Me Not” by Shakespeare uses formal language “marriage of true mindes”. In fact this language is very similar to the wedding vows. It also suggests honesty and fidelity and they are joined together as in a marriage of love.

“Let me not…admit impediments” Shakespeare is saying that true love has no obstructions, he then explains why. Love does not “alter when it alteration finds” means that it is not affected by change in one of the lovers, in the situation. Love does not bend “with the remover to remove” means that when one person ceases to love, the other does not. He uses repetition effectively; “’love is not love’, ‘alters…alteration’, ‘remover to remove’” this repetition links these phrases together which amplifies that these acts are not true love.

In the second quatrain Shakespeare begins with “Oh no.” He is emphasising through this exclamation how wrong his previous lines were. He creates a contrast with what is true love; this suggests Shakespeare’s strong feelings on the subject of love.

Love is “an ever fixed mark” this suggests that love is unmoveable. He then further emphasises this by saying, “never shaken” by “tempests”; tempest suggests a fiercer, wilder weather than a storm, but love can resist this.

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Love acts, as a guiding “star” to a “wondering barke” the star is trusted by the sailors to lead them on. It also suggests love is like a star and will not move or be disturbed.

 The third quatrain is more about how time will affect love. “Loves not times foole” this means that true love is not deceived by changes of time, even though appearances have changed “rosie cheeks and lips” fade with time.

Love does not come and go with “breefe hours and weekes” not fickle. To “the edge of doome” means the end of time ...

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