Shall I compare thee ………………….? by William Shakespeare - review.

Shall I compare thee...................? Shall I compare thee ......................? Was written by William Shakespeare on the sixteenth century. It has a similar theme to many of Shakespeare's sonnets, the cruelty of time and how, in a sense his words can defeat time by lashing much longer than the actual person who inspired him. His poem describes a woman who is better than a summer's day and as long as his poem is read she shall live on. The poet uses Language, Imagery and sound to get this idea across to the readers. This is done very well using powerful language. The poet also uses the language and imagery to portray how much he admires this person. He uses rich words such as rough, gold, shines and lovely to describe how she is beautiful. He uses phrases to capture the elements of summer and says that she it better that it, this is evident when he uses the contrast of summer. 'sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines' This phrase uses strong words and a metaphor. The word 'hot' is a violent word and shows us that not all the time is summer 'just right'. This word is made more intense by the use of the word 'too', which is placed before hot making the summer sound tedious. This part of the line leads into the use of a metaphor to describe the sun. 'eye of heaven shines' This metaphor is used very well to describe the sun, yet he believes that she is better than

  • Word count: 794
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Examine Shakespeare’s representation of love in at least two sonnets you have studied

Examine Shakespeare's representation of love in at least two sonnets you have studied We know there are two types of sonnets; the Shakespearean sonnet which has three four line quatrains, one two line rhyming couplet and an obvious rhyme scheme. The other type of sonnet is known as the Petrarchan sonnet. This consists of an octet, then a sestet and also a distinct rhyming scheme. I have studied two Shakespearean sonnets and one Petrarchan sonnet to compare how Shakespeare represents love and how this differs to another form of sonnet writing. The sonnets I studied were "Shall I compare thee.." and "Let me not.." written by Shakespeare and also "Sonnet Xiii" written by Edna St. Vincent Millay. All of these sonnets talk about love. "Shall I compare thee.." and "Let me not.." are very similar in their ideas of love. Both talk of how his love can defeat time by lasting far longer than the person who inspired him. "So long as men can breath or eyes can see, So long lives this, and gives life to thee." This depicts that how ever long people exist and are able to read, his poem will live on and by doing so; his love will live on because when people read his poem, they are reading him declaring his love. "Love alters not with his breeze houres and weeks, But beares it out even to the edge of doome." This depicts that love does not change over time, it is more positive than

  • Word count: 987
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Discuss the effects of the writing in sonnet 63; showing how far and in what ways this poem seems to you to be characteristic of Shakespeare's methods and concerns.

Discuss the effects of the writing in sonnet 63; showing how far and in what ways this poem seems to you to be characteristic of Shakespeare's methods and concerns. The expression of tone and imagery within the poem display the main techniques of concern and method from the speakers' point of view, within sonnet 63 and various other sonnets from the collection. The extent with which the speakers' concerns are expressed is due to how much enthusiasm is applied within the poem. This includes repetition, rhyme, punctuation and moreover rhythm. These ways gives us the insight to judge how much we believe whether the sonnet collections' opinions are valid to either the Young mans views or rather the speakers'. To further weight this argument, a close analysis can be done by comparing and contrasting to other sonnets. A significant method used by the speaker, within sonnet 63 is by preserving the Young Man within the poem, as it creates the effect of the speaker believing that this idea is possible. The idea is identified by the line, "they shall live, and in them, still green". The idea of the Young Man living forever, within the poem, creates an extremely powerful image as it shows the idea of immortality. This image gives a real sense as to what the speakers' views are, as he believes that the young man will literally be immortalised through his words. The method used shows

  • Word count: 1942
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Compare William Shakespeare's sonnets 12 and 73

Sonnet 12 When I do count the clock that tells the time, And see the brave day sunk in hideous night; When I behold the violet past prime, And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white; When lofty trees I see barren of leaves Which erst from heat did canopy the herd, And summer's green all girded up in sheaves Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard, Then of thy beauty do I question make, That thou among the wastes of time must go, Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake And die as fast as they see others grow; And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence. Sonnet 73 That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away, Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed whereon it must expire Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by. This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long. Compare William Shakespeare's sonnets 12 and 73, look closely at the language use to convey

  • Word count: 2351
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Examining the theme of Time in Shakespeare's Sonnets

Examining the theme of Time in Shakespeare's Sonnets The Sonnets which I have studied so far are very interesting. I have discovered that the main theme of these Sonnets is Time. From the Sonnets which I have studied already, Sonnets 2, 19 and 63 have the main theme of Time. In this essay I am going to examine and explore how Shakespeare uses the theme of Time in his Sonnets. In Sonnet 2 Shakespeare uses the theme of Time against beauty. The quote "When forty winters shall besiege thy brow" depicts Time battling against beauty. It symbolises a Warlike nature between Time and beauty. Again the quote "And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field" is another prime example of Time fighting beauty. It is the idea that beauty is only temporary, because Time is forever attacking you and taking your beauty away. In this Sonnet Shakespeare is telling a young man to pass his beauty on by having a child. Shakespeare uses Time because it is a threatening aspect of life. No one can stay beautiful forever and this is why Shakespeare uses the idea of Time battling it out with beauty. The imagery Shakespeare uses in Sonnet 2 is very compelling. The images of Time and Beauty fighting it out on a battlefield are very graphical. Other images of War and Legal issues are very interesting. It is a very expressive way of showing the young man that he isn't going to have his beauty forever and that

  • Word count: 727
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Critical Analysis of Sonnet 129 by William Shakespeare

Dione Joseph Critical Analysis of Sonnet 129 by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare's Elizabethan sonnet sequence explores a vast range of emotions that were rarely encountered anywhere in the world at that time. From the confident declaration of absolute love, to despair at separation, joy at reunion, bitter disappointment at mutual infidelity, and an overwhelming hopelessness at being locked into behaviour which will damn him to hell, Shakespeare delved into a world hitherto unvisited. A world where passion reigned supreme. In Sonnet 129, Shakespeare explores not just the reaction of the human psyche to the promptings of sexual urges, but also very clearly defines and deplores lust Shakespeare stimulates the emotions the sonnet describes by recreating them in the dominant poetic rhythm. This didactic poem forcefully warns men to shun sex, because it victimizes the pleasure-seekers. Rhythmically, the sonnet accentuates the rocking, two-beat motion of intercourse by using a caesura-like pause in the middle of all lines. Shakespeare brings to the fore various rhetorical figures of speech, that balance repeated grammatical structures and words so as to imitate the relentless, pulsing intensity of sex. The persona's profound hatred for sexuality dominates the sonnet. This passionate disgust for heterosexual interactions is primarily conveyed to the reader through the

  • Word count: 1125
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Compare Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare and the Glasgow Sonnet by Edwin Morgan.

Sonnet 130 and the Glasgow Sonnet Task: Compare Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare and the Glasgow Sonnet by Edwin Morgan. Poetry has many forms and styles of which it can be written and emphasised in. A sonnet is one of these forms. They mainly consist of fourteen lines, but can be set out in two different ways. One of two styles of sonnet is Elizabethan. William Shakespeare is an example of a poet and writer of this time period, and possible one of the most recognised for his work. William Shakespeare wrote an astounding 144 sonnets within his life time. The majority of these sonnets were mainly based upon love or insincere compliments. The Elizabethan sonnets are usually of the lyrical in content and differ in structure. This indefinably differs from the modern style of sonnet that we are use to. This is because the Elizabethan poem contains three stanzas of four lines and it finishes off with a rhyming couplet at the end. The structure of the modern sonnet is a complete anomaly compared with the Elizabethan sonnets. This is because they have two stanzas, the first consisting of eight lines and the second consisting of six lines, they are called the octave and the sestet. The sestet is the conclusion of a modern sonnet which contains a message whereas the Elizabethan's message is held within the couplet. The modern sonnets usually hold a meaning of poverty and desolation within

  • Word count: 1125
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

In one sonnet in particular, Shall I compare thee to a summers day? Shakespeare uses lots of imagery to describe the ways in which a summers day is an inadequate comparison with his beloved

Ellis Smith 9r1 How Does Shakespeare use imagery to show his love for his Girlfriend/lover? William Shakespeare was considered to be the greatest playwright of all time, he wrote over 35 plays, and many poems, sonnets were the last of his work. In one sonnet in particular, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" Shakespeare uses lots of imagery to describe the ways in which a summer's day is an inadequate comparison with his beloved At the beginning of the sonnet, Shakespeare asks himself if a summer's day is a good enough comparison for his lover "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" proving that he thinks that summer is beautiful but not knowing whether his lover is even more beautiful. As you read on though, he seems to talk himself out of it, and decides that his girlfriend is more to him than summer, "Thou art more lovely and more temperate" giving a clear image to the reader of a beautiful, calm and even-tempered woman sitting next to a slightly less beautiful, calm and even-tempered summer's day, summer seems to constantly be an inadequate comparison. Shakespeare then moves on to say that the time that summer lasts for is too short conveying the fact that his lover is always there, "And summers lease hath all to short a date" this evokes the realisation that summer doesn't last that long but his lover will last for eternity, never leaving his side. He then

  • Word count: 597
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

There are many differences between the two sonnets; the first difference is when they were written Christina Rossetti wrote

For my essay I shall be comparing 2 sonnets, one written before 1914 and the other which was written after 1914. A sonnet is a poem but is sorted into two sections, the octave and the sestet. The octave contains eight lines and the sestet contains six lines, so altogether there are fourteen lines in a sonnet. In the octave and the sestet there is always a change of meaning. The first sonnet I am going to look at is "Remember" which is written by Christina Rossetti before 1914. This sonnet talks about death and love. In the octave Christina Rossetti is saying remember me but in the sestet she is saying forget about me, this is what is meant by change of meaning in the octave and sestet. The second sonnet I shall be looking is called "Sonnet" which is written after 1914. This sonnet is written by Edna St. Vincent Millay. "Sonnet" is about past love and not having anyone too love. In the octave she talks about the past but in the sestet she talks about the present. This is another demonstration of how the meaning has changed in the octave and sestet. The language used in "Remember" is very forceful as she repeatedly insists her partner remember her. She also covers the word death by using different phrases and metaphors like "I am gone away" and "silent land" this shows that she is scared of dying but has learnt to except it. "When you can no more hold me by the hand". This

  • Word count: 960
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Shakespeare - still relevant today

What relevance do these sonnets have for Australians reading them today four centuries after they were written? Even though Shakespeare's sonnets were written over four-hundred years ago, they are still relevant today because all of the ideas and issues that Shakespeare addresses in his sonnets are still relevant to people today. Shakespeare had a very good understanding of the many subtle characteristics human nature and emotions. His sonnets have stood the test of time and have remained popular because the issues they raise and the ideas they state, are about humans and human nature, which are both unchanging over time. Some of the ideas that the sonnets convey include the fear of death, the love for others and our understanding of time and mutability. Humans have these same emotions and experiences today. People still feel jealousy, love, hatred, etc the same as they did in Shakespeare's time. This is why they are still relevant to Australians reading them today, and it is why so many people can relate to the messages of the sonnets. For example, Shakespeare uses metaphorical comparison to show the guiding, stable and everlasting nature of love. This is evident in Sonnet 116, where Shakespeare talks of love: "It is the star to every wandering bark". Shakespeare is suggesting that Love is like a guiding star in the sky, because a "bark" is a ship. In Shakespeare's time

  • Ranking:
  • Word count: 642
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay