The Power of Love: Truth, Nature or Society? "Sonnet 67" by Edmund Spencer and "Sonnet 130" by William Shakespeare

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Tavakoli

Daniel Tavakoli

Doctor Gaylord

English 101000-25

11/24/2002

The Power of Love: Truth, Nature or Society?

“Sonnet 67” by Edmund Spencer and “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare are two very different poems which converge at a point of portrayal of the woman having the power over the man in a romantic relationship. These poems have different approaches in conveying this message to the reader. At times the power can be expressed subtly as seen in “Sonnet 67” or very boldly as seen in “Sonnet 130”. According to Freudian thought there is also a pre-consciousness in “Sonnet 67” and unconsciousness in “Sonnet 130”. These beliefs attribute to the fact that the woman has received her power by Nature and by Society. Nature gives them this power because women are the gateway to existence. And although many might disagree with this fact, Society gives women power as well by idealizing women and setting the rule in stone that man has to love a woman.  Contrary to popular belief Society and Nature merge together to form a truth of the woman’s power. In these poems the power of women is not an absolute truth, for if it were to be an absolute truth the man would have to directly acknowledge the fact that the women are in control. Instead the authors of the poems indirectly hint to the fact that the woman has the power. These poems also convey the image that the beauty of women is not external, but it is based on their power to get to a man’s heart that makes them beautiful.

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The subtleness of Edmund Spenser’s “Sonnet 67” is best seen in the quatrain “Strange thing me seemed to see a beast so wild, / So goodly won with her own will beguiled” (13-14). Upon reading this line ones first thought would be that the hunter has actually overpowered the deer. Upon analyzing this verse the reader realizes the naivety of the hunter, for he never actually realized the fact hat he is powerless to the hunting of the deer. The deer is overpowering the hunter “Like as a huntsman after weary chase” (1).  In the moment where the hunter least suspects ...

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