Shakespeare's sonnets are a collection of 154 poems. Sonnets 153 and 154 do not belong to the real collection because they are adaptations of classical antic verses about Cupid and therefore distinguished from the first 152 poems because Shakespeare treated the Patriarchal convention of the sonnets in his own way. Shakespeare treats these themes in his own, distinctive fashion—most notably by addressing the poems of love and praise not to a fair woman but instead to a young man; and by including a second subject of passion: a woman of questionable attractiveness and virtue.
The sonnets, taken together, are frequently described as a sequence, and this is generally divided into two sections.
Shakespeare Sonnets 1-126 focus on a handsome young man and the speaker's emotional friendship with him that could sometimes be interpreted either as asexual or sexual. The nature of this friendship is treated as ideal love as in the Patriarchal convention.
Sonnets 127-152 focus on the speaker's relationship with a woman the so-called ‘dark lady’ who is the counterpart of the innocent beautiful maid in Patriarchal sonnets. The lyrical I has an “obsessive”1 sexual love affair with her.
I compare sonnets numbered 60 and 144 because the first one deals with the universal concerns of time and its passing and the second took note of the speaker´s seperation of physical love and more down-to-earth sensations connected with it. Moreover it is the only sonnet that explicitly refers to both the Dark Lady and the young man. This sonnets are neatly organized following the structure of the Shakespearean sonnet and its common rhyme scheme abab,cdcd,efef,gg with a iambic pentameter.
---Bibliographie
> Hühn, Peter. (1995). Geschichte der englischen Lyrik 1. Francke: Tübingen.
> Kerrigan, J. (1986). Introduction In:William Shakespeare. The sonnets and A Lovers´s Complaint. Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth.
> Senna, C. (2000). Shakespeare´s Sonnets. Hungry Minds. Inc. New York.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Sonnet 60
- Sonnet 144
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay aims to compare and contrast Shakespeare's Sonnet 60 and Sonnet 144, exploring how each poem addresses the themes of time, love, and the human experience. Sonnet 60 focuses on the universal impact of time's passage, while Sonnet 144 delves into the speaker's personal experience with two contrasting love affairs.
- The passage of time and its impact on beauty and life.
- The contrasting nature of ideal love and sexual lust.
- The exploration of personal experience within the framework of universal themes.
- The use of imagery and symbolism to convey complex emotions.
- The role of the sonnet form in conveying the poems' themes.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This introductory section provides context for the essay by briefly discussing the collection of Shakespeare's sonnets, their general themes (love, beauty, time, and immortality), and the division of the sonnets into two sections focusing on the young man and the dark lady. It then introduces the specific focus of the essay: a comparison and contrast of Sonnets 60 and 144, highlighting Sonnet 60's exploration of the universal theme of time's passage and Sonnet 144's focus on the speaker's personal experiences with love.
Sonnet 60: This section analyzes Sonnet 60, which uses the imagery of waves and the sun's journey to represent the relentless passage of time and its effect on human life and beauty. The sonnet employs a series of metaphors, comparing the fleeting nature of time to the waves constantly replacing each other. The sun's progression from youth to maturity and eventual decline mirrors the human life cycle. The poem contrasts the youthful beauty of the beloved with the inevitable aging process, culminating in a poignant promise to immortalize the beloved's beauty through the poem itself. The use of words like "toil," "crawl," "crooked eclipses," "delves," and "mow" vividly portrays the destructive power of time. The final couplet introduces the beloved, affirming that the poem will serve as a testament to their enduring beauty, contrasting the transient nature of life with the permanence of art.
Sonnet 144: This section examines Sonnet 144, which stands apart from other sonnets in the second sequence by focusing on the speaker's personal struggle with two contrasting love affairs: one characterized as "good" and the other as "evil," highlighting the failure to separate love and lust. Unlike Sonnet 60's broader focus on the universal passage of time, Sonnet 144 delves into the speaker's intimate emotional turmoil, resulting from the complexities of his relationships with the young man and the dark lady. The analysis would explore how the sonnet's structure and imagery reflect this inner conflict and the contrasting nature of his affections.
Keywords
Shakespearean sonnets, Sonnet 60, Sonnet 144, time, love, beauty, aging, mortality, immortality, ideal love, sexual lust, personal experience, imagery, symbolism, metaphor, contrast, comparison.
Shakespearean Sonnets 60 & 144: A Comparative Analysis - FAQ
What is the purpose of this essay?
This essay compares and contrasts Shakespeare's Sonnet 60 and Sonnet 144, analyzing how each poem addresses the themes of time, love, and the human experience. It explores how Sonnet 60 focuses on the universal impact of time's passage, while Sonnet 144 delves into the speaker's personal struggle with two contrasting love affairs.
What are the key themes explored in the essay?
The essay explores several key themes, including the passage of time and its impact on beauty and life; the contrasting nature of ideal love and sexual lust; the exploration of personal experience within the framework of universal themes; the use of imagery and symbolism to convey complex emotions; and the role of the sonnet form in conveying the poems' themes.
What is the content of the Introduction?
The introduction provides context by discussing Shakespeare's sonnets, their general themes (love, beauty, time, and immortality), and their division into sections focusing on the young man and the dark lady. It then introduces the essay's focus: a comparison and contrast of Sonnets 60 and 144, highlighting Sonnet 60's exploration of time's passage and Sonnet 144's focus on the speaker's personal experiences with love.
How does the essay analyze Sonnet 60?
The analysis of Sonnet 60 examines its use of imagery (waves, sun's journey) to represent the relentless passage of time and its effect on human life and beauty. It discusses the sonnet's metaphors, comparing the fleeting nature of time to waves and the sun's progression to the human life cycle. The analysis highlights the contrast between youthful beauty and the inevitable aging process, and the poem's promise to immortalize the beloved's beauty through the poem itself.
How does the essay analyze Sonnet 144?
The analysis of Sonnet 144 focuses on the speaker's personal struggle with two contrasting love affairs: one "good" and the other "evil," representing the conflict between love and lust. Unlike Sonnet 60's broader focus on time, Sonnet 144 delves into the speaker's intimate emotional turmoil stemming from his relationships with the young man and the dark lady. The analysis explores how the sonnet's structure and imagery reflect this inner conflict and the contrasting nature of his affections.
What are the keywords associated with this essay?
The keywords include Shakespearean sonnets, Sonnet 60, Sonnet 144, time, love, beauty, aging, mortality, immortality, ideal love, sexual lust, personal experience, imagery, symbolism, metaphor, contrast, and comparison.
What is the structure of the provided document?
The document includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries (for the introduction and each sonnet), and keywords. It's structured to provide a comprehensive overview of the essay's content and methodology.
- Quote paper
- Susanne Huse (Author), 2006, Comparison and Contrast Essay: Shakespeare's Sonnet 60 vs. Sonnet 144, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/86885
