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Use of sonnet throughout the ages (Shakespeare, Milton and Rossetti) - page 3
Keywords: english literature lit sonnet poetry william shakespeare john milton christina rossetti
By exploiit on 19/06/2010
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 3 of 8 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8us to believe that she is equally as epic and important. The description of the Sun also makes it sound unpredictable, and as a direct contrast, we see the woman as consistent and reliable. This is echoed again quickly afterwards, when the poetic voice explains that “every fair from fair sometime declines” due to “chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d”. Not only does this repeat Shakespeare’s idea of unreliability, but also suggests that all suffer detriment when faced with the test of time, and this demeaning process is inevitable in life; with the exception of course, of his woman. Shakespeare believes that she can beat the effects of time and “shall not fade”. As the sun is depicted as the “eye of heaven”, a religious element is obviously introduced. Although not used in direct mention of the woman, the presence of such language is suggestive of her being angelic and pure. This ‘eye’ however, is also described as being “too hot”. This generates a feeling of suffocation and helplessness, and to an extent the metaphor of an eye seems likely to make the poet feel trapped.
The climax in Shakespeare’s sonnet is the ending. In this, he expresses how he believes that the woman’s beauty will survive forever and death shall not “brag thou wanderest in his shade”. The woman is seen to overcome death is this line, and so is reminiscent on her holy characteristics. The power to overcome something like death is so immense, and Shakespeare believes that this woman undoubtedly possesses these powers, again showcasing her greatness. As the sonnet draws to a close, we realise the purpose of its being. Shakespeare has written the sonnet in order to immortalise the woman’s beauty “so long as men can breathe, or eyes can see / so long lives this, and this gives life to thee”.
Shakespeare puts his ‘poetic voice’ to great use in this poem, letting it highlight every favourable aspect of a summer’s day, and then delivering the thought that this woman is more beautiful, lovable and significant than each of these aspects. His use of metaphor and adjectives, as well as contrast are all effective devices practiced by Shakespeare in order to truly prove the extent of Shakespeare’s love, and his use of this sonnet has fulfilled his goal of immortalizing this woman’s beauty.
In the 17th Century, the end of the Renaissance period, John Milton produced his
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