Sonnet 18

1. Sonnet 18 Perhaps one of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets, Sonnet 18 presents an idea of permanence, or rather, stability. The speaker begins by asking whether he should or will compare "thee" to a summer day. The speaker says that this “thee” is more lovely and more even-tempered, by listing the cons of summer: winds shake the buds that emerged in Spring, summer ends too quickly, and the sun can get too hot or be obscured by clouds. The speaker goes on to say that everything beautiful eventually fades by chance or by nature’s inevitable changes. Speaking of the “thee”, though, he argues that his or her summer (beautiful years) won’t disappear, nor will his or her loveliness waste away. Moreover, death will never be able to take the “thee”,…

welcome to today’s seminar, my name is Jemma and I’ll be talking about two of Shakespeare’s poem, both representing the theme of love. The two poems that will be explored today are Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130. Although both of these poems represent the theme of love, they do so in different ways. The two poems that I will be discussing and analysing are both written by the well-known poet, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born in Srattford-upon-avon, Warwickshire in England. He was a poet,…

Separated by three hundred years, Millay and Shakespeare bring to light opposing ideas on love’s effect on the human condition. “What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why” by Edna St. Vincent Millay and “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare investigate erotic and platonic love in a similar yet contrasting manner. Millay’s poem explores personal grief when passionate love wanes with age. Shakespeare’s poem, on the other hand, depicts platonic love for a friend who, to the narrator, is the…

In the erasure poem book, “Nets,” Jen Bervin utilizes the sonnets of William Shakespeare to create new poetry. The poems were created by analyzing the word choices available within his sonnets. The examination of the words helped the author to find a voice within the work. There are an infinite number of word choices available within each sonnet, and by studying the words, you can determine which voice within the poem would like to speak. The poem, “18,” was composed using William Shakespeare’s…

Created by Giacomo da Lentini, the sonnet is a poetic form originating in Italy and consisting of fourteen lines, and following a strict rhyming pattern. Additionally, a sonnet includes two parts: first the octave which asks a question or alludes to a problem, and then the sestet which provides a resolution to same (“Sonnet,” Wikipedia). William Shakespeare is one of the most widely known sonnet writers. Contemporaries of Shakespeare include: Sir Philip Sidney who penned sequences “Astrophel and…

“Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare it may be the best well-known of all sonnets. In "Sonnet 18", William Shakespeare offers a unique perspective on the comparisons that were popular in the sonnet times. "Sonnet 18" is committed to admire a friend or lover, usually known as the "fair youth." The sonnet itself guarantees that this person beauty will have remained sustained; even through death; the lines of verse will continue to be read by future generations; when a speaker, poet, and an admirer…

Sonnet 18, written by William Shakespeare, is the most popular amongst his other 154 sonnets. The sonnet starts off by praising a beloved’s beauty and, as we slowly progress through the rest of the sonnet, transform this beloved’s beauty into something almost immortal. It is as if Shakespeare is describing his beloved as a perfect being. In Sonnet 18’s octave, he starts off with a question and a quick statement of his beloved “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more…

Love is a great feeling that links a number of people together through both emotional and physical aspects. Sonnet 18, written by William Shakespeare, is one of the best poems that reflect to the issue of love and emotions between a woman and a man. Shakespeare begins the poem with an opening question: “”Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The other lines are directly devoted to the question, which reflects on comparing the beloved one to the summer day. With a clear analysis of the poem,…

Shakespeare’s 17th century sonnets are loved by many, but perhaps also seen as a bit controversial for its time by some. This controversy is particularly prominent in Shakespeare’s 18th sonnet, also known as “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”, which was published in the quarto SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS in the year of 1609. The controversy has had many wondering: Was Shakespeare gay? The reason for this controversy can be found in one of the sonnet’s themes. Shakespeare’s admiration of an…

Sonnet 18 attempts to distinguish that of Shakespeare’s beloved and a summer day by setting up a contract between the two by arguing that the person being described in this poem shall be immortalized by said poem. The contrast though seems to fall flat as the summer day that is being compared seems more eternal than that of the subject as though Shakespeare claims to be giving eternal life to his subject through this poem he is also giving eternal life to that of the summer day as in order to…