Among William Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets is Sonnet 18 because it is the greatest love poems of all times. Sonnet 18 presents a variety of poetic devices considering the distinctive structure Among William Shakespeare’s, most famous sonnets are Sonnet 18 because it is the greatest love poems of all times. Sonnet 18 presents a variety of poetic devices considering the distinctive structure that Shakespeare uses effectively. In as much as readers may want to look for a complicated structure, it is more straightforward, because its language is brief, concise and unto the point. Shakespeare starts by praising his friend and ends up making him look like a perfect being. Comparisons are made a couple of times; for instance, he is compared to a summer in the octave. Summer is known for its bright sunshine, flowers blooming, warm weather and trees rich and full of leaves. It is the ultimate love poem that is rich in stylistic devices that help propel the overall theme of love and appreciation.
Just like other sonnets, this poem has an iambic pentameter that is made up of four quatrains coupled with a rhyming couplet. These characteristic features also help propel beauty and how it is affected by seasons and time. The reader may not be aware of the physical attributes of the love in question. But at least the reader knows that the beauty of the woman in question is likened to the sun and summer. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” she is also said to be temperate, an attribute that is generally equated with inner beauty. Beauty does not last forever as implied by this poem. Summer is a period that lasts approximately four months. The beauty of this woman has been immortalized, as one that fades away with time. Shakespeare says, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May/ And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” It is clear that the beauty does not last forever but for a season.
The sonnet also employs personification in a number of ways. Shakespeare gives objects human qualities through personification. In so doing, the reader quickly relates the objects to the human attributes they refer. A good example is seen when Shakespeare says, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” and it means that the winds choke the buds using the hands of May. May has been personified as well as the winds (Atkins 71). He creates life and gives nature human qualities as he goes about exalting the beauty and goodness of his beloved. Also, he says, “eye of heaven” meaning that the sky is the face, and the sun is equated to an eye. Through the few examples of personification given, one does not need to decipher a different meaning away from the direct words and language used in the sonnet.
One thing that stands out though is the fact that in as much as the seasons come and go and beauty fades, his lines will remain forever. It is not easy to keep love going all through the years. It is for that reason that summers come and winds blow away their beauty. Time has to pass, and beauty and love will go, but these creatively crafted lines will remain forever. Shakespeare uses this poem to show that love is eternal or finite. After all, the summer is made inferior to the person who it is used to refer. The flowers may fall or may not bloom, but inner beauty and feelings will remain forever sure that Shakespeare uses effectively. In as much as readers may want to look for a complicated structure, it is more straightforward, because its language is brief, concise and unto the point. Shakespeare starts by praising his friend and ends up making him look like a perfect being. Comparisons are made a couple of times; for instance, he is compared to a summer in the octave. Summer is known for its bright sunshine, flowers blooming, a warm weather and trees rich and full of leaves. It is an ultimate love poem that is rich in stylistic devises that help propel the overall theme of love and appreciation.
Just like other sonnets, this poem has an iambic pentameter that is made up of four quatrains coupled with a rhyming couplet. These characteristic features also help propel beauty and how it is affected by seasons and time. The reader may not be aware of the physical attributes of the love in question. But at least the reader knows that the beauty of the woman in question is likened to the sun and summer “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” she is also said to be temperate, an attribute that is normally equated to inner beauty. Beauty does not last forever as implied by this poem. Summer is a period that lasts approximately four months. The beauty of this woman has been immortalized, as one that fades away with time. Shakespeare says “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May/ And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” It is clear that beauty does not last forever but for a season.
The sonnet also employs personification in a number of ways. Shakespeare gives objects human qualities through personification. In so doing, the reader easily relates the objects to the human attributes they refer. A good example is seen when Shakespeare says “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” and it means that the winds choke the buds using the hands of May. May has been personified as well as the winds (Atkins 71). He creates life and gives nature human qualities as he goes about exalting the beauty and goodness of his beloved. Also, he says “eye of heaven” meaning that the sky is the face and the sun is equated to an eye. Through the few examples of personification given, one does not need to decipher a different meaning away from the direct words and language used in the sonnet.
One thing that stands out though, is the fact that in as much as the seasons come and go and beauty fades, his lines will remain forever. It is not easy to keep love going all through. It is for that reason that summers come and winds blow away their beauty. Time has to pass and beauty and love will go, but these creatively crafted lines will remain forever. Shakespeare uses this poem to show that love is eternal or finite. After all, the summer is made inferior to the person who it is used to refer. The flowers my fall or may not bloom, but inner beauty and feelings will remain forever.
Works Cited
Atkins, Carl D. Shakespeare's Sonnets: With Three Hundred Years of Commentary. Cranbury: Associated University Press, 2007. Print
Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 18. Web. Retrieved on 2nd December 2014. http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/blshakespearesonnet18.htm
