Moreover, and this is where the tone takes its turn, the poet derides summer for its temporary nature. In all of its delighted qualities, the poet suggests, it is a fleeting sensation compared to the lasting statement of her loveliness. Again, we find that exaggeration is a common feature of the love poem. In this instance, there is an overly grand sentiment in the characterization of the subject and, likewise, a decidedly biased disparaging of the summer season as a counterpoint. Here, the poet observes, "And every fair from fair sometimes declines / By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed. /
But thy eternal summer shall not fade."
The poet's tone is thus ultimately one of worshipful affection. There is some combination of love and lust which drives the poet's description and which leaves us little doubt that the speaker is either courting or showering this woman.
Point-of-View:
This produces our discussion on point-of-view. The poem is written in the first-person and is addressed to a specific recipient. From all that can be deduced in the discussion on word choice and tone here above, it seems apparent that the point-of-view is that of a man speaking to his lover. This only suggests a general understanding of the point-of-view presented. A more intensive consideration of the poem might reveal a deeper narrative that brings us to reconsider the sentiment that Shakespeare is particularly skilled in examining the human condition.
Indeed, it may be said that the exaggeration is appropriate on the occasion of the death of one's lover, partner, wife or soul-mate. As the poem takes on an almost defensive posture in comparing the perpetual beauty of his subject to the almost cruel suddenness of summer's departure,...
.. I grow old...' are the evidence of the impending fear of death. One unusual part of the poem is how Eliot, or Prufrock, puts himself into a role in one of Shakespeare's plays and then admits that he is no Hamlet by saying 'No! I am not the Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be.' Although I am guessing, I feel that Eliot was trying to say that Shakespeare's
Shakespeare Journal 9/14 Sonnets (1. I usually have to force myself to read poetry, especially sonnets about romance that seem contrived or sentimentalized. Also, I am not very good at understanding and explaining the various metaphors, hidden meanings and so on. Sonnet 18 is so famous that it has long since turned into a cliche ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?") and would simply not go over very well is
The extent of the hyperbole may not be clear to a modern audience, but ten thousand miles was an almost incomprehensible distance when Burns wrote the poem and would have taken a tremendous amount of time, regardless of method of travel. In sharp contrast to Burns' poem, Shakespeare's poem makes it clear that he does not believe his love is supernatural. While many love poems, like Burns' "A Red, Red Rose,"
William Shakespeare has written a number of love sonnets. In general, these tend to be less conventional than the typical romantic poem, where love is praised above all things as the purpose of life and relationships. Instead, Shakespeare tends towards a more realistic sense of loving despite imperfection and despite life's challenges. To some degree, the same is true of Sonnet 116, which begins with the line "Let me
In addition, it is the "star to every wandering bark" (7). In "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow," the poet claims that marriage is "foolish" (Dryden 1). He also wonders why two people should honor a vow that was made "long ago" (2). In addition, the poet wonders why two people should remain married "When passion is decay'd" (4). Here we see two very different points-of-view regarding love. Love
He spends a great deal of time explaining this to us with imagery and symbolism. Love looks upon "tempests" (6) - the possible hurdles that lovers may encounter - and is "never shaken" (6) by them. It is important to note that the poet does not believe that love is always happy and easy. He is not foolish enough tot think that tough times will come. He knows that
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