shakespeare sonnet analysis essay

Shakespeare Sonnets Analysis

While Shakespeare was pursuing a successful career in acting, writing plays, promoting other playwrights, and managing theatres he was also writing sonnets. He wrote most of them as a young man. A

mong Elizabethans, sonnets were regarded as personal poems not intended for publication. They were usually circulated among the poet’s friends and it was actually considered out of order to write them for publication.

Shakespeare’s sonnets were published in 1609, however –  quite possibly without his knowledge – by a disreputable publisher who was notorious for stealing manuscripts. When he was forty-five, seven years before his death, a slim volume entitled ‘Shake-Speares Sonnets’ appeared in London’s two main bookshops. Although we now look back on the plays with a feeling that he said everything in them that a man might ever want to say about the world, they were not personal but written exclusively for public entertainment.

The first hundred and twenty-six sonnets in Shakespeare’s volume appear to be addressed to a beautiful young man. Although there is an erotic underlying theme running through them that doesn’t seem to be their main subject. They express a wide range of topics from poetry, painting, and music, to nobility, the breeding of children, sexual betrayal, and the ravages of Time.

The next batch, 127 to 152, moves away from the young man to a shady, mysterious, dark woman who is fascinating but treacherous. The poet’s passions become more personal and intense compared with the friendship displayed in the first batch – his adulterous obsession with her; his feelings of inadequacy; and the disgust and revulsion he feels when she proves false. Reading them through in sequence offers an awesome emotional experience. (Read a more in-depth analysis of  William Shakespeare’s love sonnets .)

The last two sonnets seem inconsequential. They are imitations of Greek epigrams devoted to Cupid, a young votress of the goddess Diana, and a hot therapeutic spring. At first glance they seem separate from the dark lady sonnets but they form a poetic summing up of the poet’s relationship with her and the reflections on love that are dealt with in detail in the other sonnets.

Read  Shakespeare sonnets in modern English >>

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Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 Analysis (Detailed and Illustrated)

Ever wondered what Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 really means and how it is organized? In this article,

• You’ll see how Sonnet 18 is structured – in fascinating detail
• You’ll discover what Shakespeare really means
• You’ll get plenty of ideas for writing about Sonnet 18

Now, let’s dive into a detailed analysis of the sonnet.

Part 1 – Main Structure

Sonnet 18 by william shakespeare.

• Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
• Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
• Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
• And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
• Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
• And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
• And every fair from fair sometime declines,
• By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
• But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
• Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
• Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
• When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
• So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
• So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

(source: The Poetry Foundation )

Let’s Do the Big Picture Analysis

An analysis is really identifying the parts of something and the relationship between the parts. And that’s how you comprehend a piece of writing, such as a poem. 

First, I want to show you how comprehension really works. In other words, how do you really read a sonnet, a poem, or any piece of writing, so that you would actually understand its meaning?

To make this really simple and easy, I came up with the idea of the Comprehension Pyramid. Here’s what it looks like:

It’s very simple. The better you understand the structure, the easier it will be to understand the meaning of any piece of writing. 

So, in the diagram above, as you climb the pyramid along the left ridge (structure), the meaning climbs with you on the right. And then you meet at the top, and you exclaim, “I got it!”

All you really need to do to understand something is to identify its parts and the relationship among them.

To analyze Sonnet 18, you need to ask yourself these two questions repeatedly:

• What are the parts?
• What is the relationship between the parts?

You can learn this process in this video:

How Is Sonnet 18 Structured?

First, let’s get some vocabulary out of the way.

In line 1, the word “ thee ” simply means “ you .” 

In line 2, the word “ thou ” also simply means “ you .” 

And in Line 9, ” thy ” means “ your ” or “ yours .”

Let’s take a look at lines 1 and 2

1. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

2. Thou art more lovely and more temperate:”

In Line 1, Shakespeare tells you exactly what he intends to accomplish in this sonnet. He wants to compare “thee,” meaning “ you ,” to a summer’s day (or to the summer ). 

This already gives you a hint that there could be two parts to this sonnet. 

In line 2, he states the contrast: “You are more lovely and more temperate” than the summer.

As a result, lines 1 and 2 contain the argument , much like an argumentative essay.

In fact, this sonnet works like a perfect college-level essay. You state the thesis in the first paragraph and then support it in the body of the essay. This is exactly what Shakespeare does in this sonnet. 

Shakespeare is about to compare “you” to the summer, and that’s perfectly clear right from the beginning.

Now, since Shakespeare just told us that he wants to do a comparison, we can start looking for the main structure.

In other words, we should look for what parts of the sonnet Shakespeare devotes to “ you ” and what parts to “ the summer. ”

Hint: Look for Key Power Words

To identify the main parts of the sonnet, we should look for some of the key words.

These are words like “ and ” or “ but ” and their variations, such as “ also ” and “ however .”

And we find our main key word “ But ” in line 9.

The word “ But ” separates the two main sections of this sonnet. The first one is about “you,” and the other one is about “the summer.”

Shakespeare Structures this Sonnet Perfectly

Lines 3 to 8 are about the “ summer .” And lines 9 to 14 are about ” you .”

Note that this structure is in perfect accordance with line 1 which essentially states: “I’m comparing you to the summer.”

When I teach essay writing, this is how I teach my students to write. State your argument upfront in the beginning, and then structure the body of the essay accordingly.

Good job, Shakespeare!

Part 2 – How Does Shakespeare Accomplish the Comparison?

We know that Shakespeare is about to compare you to the summer . But do we have even more information in the first two lines?

Yes, we do. In line 2, Shakespeare gives us two criteria on which he wants to compare you with the summer . 

 And what are the criteria? In line 2, he says “You are more lovely and you are more temperate .”

And “temperate” just means “mild,” or “not extreme.” 

And so the criteria are loveliness and mildness .

Now we need to read the rest of the sonnet to see if Shakespeare really uses these two criteria to do the comparison. Here’s a video where I do this line by line:

If we go through the entire sonnet, we’ll see that only lines 3, 5, and 6 are about loveliness and mildness . The rest of the lines are about something else. 

Let’s take a look

3. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,   

This line is about mildness. How do we know that?

We know that because the winds are “rough,” and “rough” is the opposite of “mild.” In other words, compared to you , May is rough. And you, therefore, are milder. 

And May, of course, represents the summer. 

See how this works?

4. And summer’s lease hath all too short a date; (we’ll come back to this line…)

5. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,  

This line is also about mildness. How do we know that? 

We know that because the sun (the eye of heaven) is “too hot.” In other words, it’s extreme, it is not mild. And in comparison, you are milder. 

So, we’ve got two lines devoted to mildness so far. 

6. And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;    

This line is about loveliness. How do we know that?

We know that because the face of the sun becomes dim . And dim is low brightness, low energy. In other words, it is not lovely enough. 

And in comparison, you are more lovely, just like Shakespeare stated in his argument in line 2 (see diagram below).

Thus far, we have identified in which lines Shakespeare actually supports his argument the way he stated it in the first two lines. 

But What About the Rest of the Sonnet?

Great question. If Shakespeare is not talking about loveliness or mildness in the rest of the lines of the sonnet, then what IS he talking about?

Let’s take a look. 

We know what’s happening in lines 1-2, 3, and 5-6. 

1. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?  (Argument)

2. Thou art more lovely and more temperate:  (Two criteria) 

3. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,   (The summer is rough, unlike you)

4. And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

5. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,   (The summer is too hot, unlike you)

6. And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;   (The summer is less lovely than you)

Now, what is going on in line 4?

This line has something to do with Time. Do you see that it has nothing to do with beauty or mildness? Nothing whatsoever.

Shakespeare’s complaint against the summer in line 4 is that it is too short. In other words, it lacks longevity . 

And when we read the rest of the sonnet (lines 7-14), we realize that those lines are devoted to time. More precisely, they are about longevity .

7. And every fair from fair sometime declines,  (Any beauty must fade away at some point)

8. By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d; (Because that’s how nature is) 

9. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, (But your youth will NOT fade)

10. Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; (It will not lose its beauty)

11. Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,  (And Death will not take you)

12. When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:  (When time tries to claim you)

13. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,  (Because you shall forever)

14. So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.  (Stay alive in this poem)

As it turns out, back in line 4 Shakespeare introduced a new criterion on which to compare you with the summer . And it is not loveliness or mildness. It has nothing to do with these concepts.

The third criterion is about Time. It is longevity . 

Your Takeaways So Far

• Shakespeare initially gives us two criteria on which to compare you with the summer in line 2. 
• The criteria are Loveliness and Mildness. You are more lovely and more mild than the summer.
• However, in line 4, Shakespeare introduces a third criterion – Longevity. You are also more long-lasting, more durable than the summer.
• And the poet devotes lines 4 and 7-14 to supporting this point.
• As a result, you can say that the sonnet is mostly about Longevity because Shakespeare spends most of the time talking about it. 
• We can summarize Shakespeare’s entire argument this way: You are more lovely, more mild, and more long-lasting than the summer. 

How interesting is it that Shakespeare actually uses three criteria, not two! Very interesting.

And if we go back to our Comprehension Pyramid, as we were getting more clarity on the structure, we were also getting more clarity on the meaning.

We have reached the top, and now we can proudly say that we truly understand the meaning of this sonnet. 

Part 3 – How Shakespeare Uses Words to Draw a Contrast

Shakespeare is not only a master of argumentation and rhetoric. As a poet, he is also a master of using words with impact. 

He knows that once he put forth his argument, he has to support it. And in this sonnet, he must continually present a contrast.

This is the contrast between You and the Summer . How does Shakespeare use words to make a sharp and clear contrast?

Let’s take a look. (You may watch the video below for a video lesson)

In line 3, Shakespeare uses the word “rough” to describe the winds of May. And we immediately know that if the summer is “rough,” then You, in contrast, are mild.

Again, we’ll come back to line 4. (Poor line 4 🙂 )

In line 5, the sun is “too hot.” You see, if something is “too” something, that means it’s an excess. Too much of anything is bad. Shakespeare knows this and uses the word to bring the sun down, in implied comparison with you . 

In line 6, the sun is “dimmed.” It’s dull, not beautiful. Compared to it, you are not dim or dull at all. That’s the implication. 

In other words, Shakespeare doesn’t even have to mention You to make a point about You . All he has to do is criticize the summer. And it becomes clear that You are simply better (more beautiful and mild). 

How Shakespeare Uses Juxtaposition  

Let’s look at some of the pairs of opposites Shakespeare uses so masterfully. 

He juxtaposes lines 7-8 with line 9. In lines 7-8, he uses the words “declines” and “changing.” They refer to the summer. 

Decline and change are opposites of longevity and constancy. These words imply death. 

In contrast, in line 9, Shakespeare uses the words “eternal” and “not change.” These refer to You . Do you see how cleverly the poet presents a contrast?

Eternal means forever. Not to change also means to last forever. Shakespeare endows You with longevity, durability, immortality (see diagram below).

Now, it’s time to come back to line 4, where the poet uses the word “lease.” What is a lease? It is a rental contract. You pay to use something, and then you have to give it back. 

Contrast this with “ow’st” which means “own” in line 10. What does it mean to own something? Do you have to give it back? No! It’s yours forever.

See how clever that is?

The Punchline

Lines 13 and 14 (the couplet) are the punchline of the sonnet. Please note that section two (lines 9-14) is entirely devoted to the third criterion (Longevity). 

In the last two lines of the sonnet, Shakespeare explains why You are more long-lasting than the Summer . 

It’s for a very simple reason. Because for as long as men can breathe, for as long as people can come to this poem and read it, you are alive in it. 

Essentially, this poem makes you eternal. It makes you immortal.

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Sonnet 130 Summary & Analysis by William Shakespeare

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Sonnet 130" was written by the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. Though most likely written in the 1590s, the poem wasn't published until 1609. Like many other sonnets from the same period, Shakespeare's poem wrestles with beauty, love, and desire. He tries to find a more authentic, realistic way to talk about these things in the sonnet, and gleefully dismisses the highly artificial poems of praise his peers were writing. Shakespeare's poem also departs from his contemporaries in terms of formal structure — it is a new kind of sonnet—the "Shakespearean" sonnet.

• Read the full text of “Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”

The Full Text of “Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”

1 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 

2 Coral is far more red than her lips' red; 

3 If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; 

4 If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 

5 I have seen roses damasked, red and white, 

6 But no such roses see I in her cheeks; 

7 And in some perfumes is there more delight 

8 Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. 

9 I love to hear her speak, yet well I know 

10 That music hath a far more pleasing sound; 

11 I grant I never saw a goddess go; 

12 My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. 

13    And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 

14    As any she belied with false compare.

“Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Summary

“sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” themes.

Beauty and Love

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

Love, Personality, and the Superficial

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 

Coral is far more red than her lips' red;  If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;  If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 

I have seen roses damasked, red and white,  But no such roses see I in her cheeks;  And in some perfumes is there more delight  Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. 

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know  That music hath a far more pleasing sound;  I grant I never saw a goddess go;  My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. 

Lines 13-14

   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare     As any she belied with false compare.

“Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Symbols

• See where this symbol appears in the poem.

“Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Parallelism

End-stopped line, “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”

Rhyme scheme, “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” speaker, “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” setting, literary and historical context of “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”, more “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” resources, external resources.

Harryette Mullen's "Dim Lady" — Read the full text of Harryette Mullen's "Dim Lady," a rewriting of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130.

"Sonnet 130" Glossary — A glossary and commentary on Sonnet 130 from Buckingham University.

1609 Quarto Printing of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 — An image of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 as it appeared in its first printing, in 1609.

Reading of "Sonnet 130" — Ian Midlane reads "Sonnet 130" for the BBC, introduced by some smooth jazz.

Blazon Lady — See an image of Charles Berger's blazon lady and read Thomas Campion's contemporaneous blazon. 

Sidney's Astrophil and Stella #9 — Read the full text of Sidney's earlier blazon, Astrophil and Stella #9.  

LitCharts on Other Poems by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Sonnet 129: Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame

Sonnet 12: When I do count the clock that tells the time

Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth

Sonnet 141: In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes

Sonnet 147: My love is as a fever, longing still

Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws

Sonnet 20: A woman’s face with nature’s own hand painted

Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"

Sonnet 29: When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes

Sonnet 30: When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

Sonnet 33: Full many a glorious morning have I seen

Sonnet 45: The other two, slight air and purging fire

Sonnet 55: Not marble nor the gilded monuments

Sonnet 60: Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore

Sonnet 65 ("Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea")

Sonnet 71: No longer mourn for me when I am dead

Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold

Sonnet 94: "They that have power to hurt"

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Shakespeare's Sonnets William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Sonnets essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of various sonnets by William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets Material

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Analysis of Sonnet 116: a Timeless Exploration of Love

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Sonnet 130 Analysis Essay

Sonnet 130 is a poem written by William Shakespeare. Sonnet 130 is part of the Fair Youth Sonnets. Sonnet 130 talks about how the speaker will never love anyone as much as he loves his beloved (the “Fair Youth”). Sonnets are lyric poems that people commonly try to analyze through certain perspectives. Sonnets are usually written about a loved one, something the writer really cares about, or an idea that means something to them. Sonnet 130 is one of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

Sonnet 130 talks about his complete love for somebody and how he will never love anybody as much as he loves this person. Sonnet 130 was written during the Renaissance Period by William Shakespeare. Sonnets were a popular form of short poems because it allowed people to express their emotions and thoughts in a way that could be interpreted differently depending on who you asked about them. Sonnet 130 is part of one of Shakespeare’s bigger collections known as The Fair Youth Sonnets, which talks about his complete love for a male subject referred to as “the young man” or “Fair Youth”.

Sonnet 130 goes into detail how he will never love anyone as much as he loves this person and then ends with a rhetorical question at the end asking himself why that is, since all other things have an end except love which has no limit so why does love have an end? Sonnet 130 is a poem written during the Renaissance Period and Sonnet 130 was written by William Shakespeare. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in life matters to him except his lover and that he will never love anyone as much as he loves them.

Sonnet 130 goes into detail about how no matter what happens, or what anyone else thinks of him, that they matter to him but his lover matters more than anything and everything. Sonnet 130 is a love poem written by William Shakespeare where he explains how nothing in the world matters to him other than his beloved (Fair Youth). Sonnets are poems that may be analyzed using different perspectives on who is reading it. Sonnets are usually written about a loved one, something that the writer really cares about, or an idea that may have meant something to them.

Sonnet 130 is part of William Shakespeare’s collection of Sonnets known as “The Fair Youth Sonnets”. Sonnet 130 talks about Shakespeare’s complete love for somebody and how he will never love anybody else as much as he loves them. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in life matters to him except his lover and that he will never love anyone else as much as he loves them. Sonnet 130 goes into detail on how no matter what happens, or who thinks of him, that they matter but his lover matters more than anything and everything.

Sonnet 130 starts out by saying “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”, Sonnet 130 starts out by saying how the speaker’s beloved’s eyes don’t even compare to the beautiful sky. Sonnet 130 then goes into detail that his lover is more radiant than any precious stone or gold because he says “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red”. Sonnet 130 ends with a rhetorical question asking himself why his lover matters so much even though everything in life has an end except love which does not have an end.

Sonnet 130 was written during the Renaissance Period and Sonnets were popular form of short poems during this time because it allowed people to express their feelings and thoughts in a way that could be interpreted differently depending on who you ask about it. Sonnet 130 is part of William Shakespeare’s collection known as “The Fair Youth Sonnets”. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in the world matters to him other than his beloved.

Sonnet 130 starts off by saying “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”, Sonnet 130 starts off by explaining how the speaker’s beloved’s eyes don’t even compare to something as beautiful as the sky. Sonnet 130 goes on say that his lover is more radiant than any precious stone or gold because he says “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red”. Sonnet 130 then ends with a rhetorical question asking why his lover means so much to him even though everything has an end except love which does not have an end.

Sonnet 130 goes on to say “One might think her poor, because she is so fair” Sonnet 130 goes on to say how she may seem like she doesn’t have any money but he explains that his beloved has more than enough. Sonnet 130 was written by William Shakespeare during the Renaissance Period and Sonnets were very popular form of short poems during this time because it allowed people to express their feelings and thoughts without having a certain meaning or way of thinking behind them since Sonnets were ambiguous. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in life matters except for his beloved.

Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, one of the most famous and quoted Sonnets. The Sonnets are a collection of 154 poems published in 1609 and dedicated to “the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets Mr. W.H.” Sonnet 130 is also known as “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” Sonnet 130 is written in the English Language, Sonnets are poems that have 14-lined rhymed stanzas. Sonnet 130 can be found in 1609 book by William Shakespeare called Sonnets.

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damasked, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go–

My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare. Sonnet 130 is an English Sonnet written by William Shakespeare that talks about how he feels his lover isn’t nearly as wonderful as other men claim their lovers are. Sonnet 130 is one of 154 sonnets known today as Sonnets from the Portuguese, which were published in 1609 . Sonnets are 14 line poems that have rhyming couplets at the end of every two lines.. There are three quatrains and one couplet at the end of Sonnet 130. Sonnet 130 has an English ABABCDCDEFEFGG form. There are three quatrains in Sonnet 130. Sonnet 130 is written in iambic pentameter, which means that there are ten syllables per line with each line having one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, except for the tenth line that has two stressed syllables to conclude the couplet. The rhyme scheme used in Sonnet 130 is AABCCCDDEEFFE.

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Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis Essay

Introduction, analysis of sonnet 20, a rough translation of the sonnet.

Shakespeare remains the undisputed monarch in the history of English Literature due to his unparalleled contribution in the various genres.

Perhaps the area where he has been diversely interpreted is in his Sonnets – a fourteen-line lyric with the rhyme –scheme abab cdcd efef gg (a set of three quatrains and a couplet). Bruno Leone asserts, “The poet must posses creative techniques and artistry to effectively compose a sonnet.”(38) Shakespeare has to his credit 154 sonnets wherein sonnets 1 – 26 are devoted to a beautiful young man. Sonnets 127 -152 are reflective of an unfaithful and seductive lady. The themes in his sonnets range from love, beauty, politics to mortality. They are more earthy and sexual than contemporary sequences.

An in-depth analysis of sonnet 20 reveals that it stirs the most critical controversy and remains the perfect battleground for scholarly interpretation. It has the largest bodies of criticism than any other sonnet. In the first quatrain, the fair lord is treated as feminine and has been interpreted both in the literal sense and figurative sense. In the literal sense, the poet’s master is having control over him, and in the figurative sense, the Lord is both male and female. The closing couplet ties with the theme of Platonic love and carnal lust. Of course, such varied interpretations could be the product of autobiographical research in the area.

The sonnet is unique as it exclusively ends in feminine rhymes – that is, end rhymes of at least two syllables with the final syllable unstressed. Meter is a recurring pattern of stressed (accented or long) and unstressed (unaccented or short) syllables in lines of a set length. Each pair of unstressed and stressed syllables makes up a unit called afoot. A foot containing an unstrained syllable followed by a stressed syllable is called an iamb. Because there are 5 feet in a line, all iambic, the meter of the line is iambic pentameter. It should be noted that a couplet is always indented; both lines rhyme at the end. All of Shakespeare’s sonnets except sonnet 145 are in iambic pentameter.

It could be too far-reaching to pronounce that the poet wants to possess the youth physically. There is a declaration of love from one man to another, and who the man is speaking to. Helen Vendler comments that Shakespeare “has only obligated himself to portray the feelings of his protagonist in that time and situation” (17).

The understanding of the poem pierces into the youth’s double nature and character. It is asserted that ambiguity characterizes the poet’s feelings but not his language.

Greenblatt, Stephen, gen.ed.The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Major Author.2vols.8thed.New York: Norton, 2007.

Leone, Bruno ed. The Sonnets . San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1997.

Vendler, Helen.Hi Helen. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets . M.A: Harvard University Press, 1997.

Nature painted with a face of a

master and mistress of my passion;

You have the gentle heart of a

woman, yet you are not

fickle like so many changeable women;

Your eyes are brighter than women’s

deceptive as theirs; you shed

golden light upon any

the object you gaze upon;

A man of your appearance sets the

the standard for what a

a man should look like; your beauty

attracts the eyes of

men and amazes the souls of women.

And you were first created to be woman, but Nature

fell in love with you (or made a mistake) as she was

crafting you.

And defeated me by adding one thing to you, a thing

that does not aid my goal.

But since she chose you to be

for women’s pleasure

your love will be mine, yet

the use of your love is for

women’s benefit.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, August 22). Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespeares-sonnet-20-analysis/

"Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis." IvyPanda , 22 Aug. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/shakespeares-sonnet-20-analysis/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis'. 22 August.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis." August 22, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespeares-sonnet-20-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda . "Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis." August 22, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespeares-sonnet-20-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Shakespeare’s Sonnet 20 Analysis." August 22, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/shakespeares-sonnet-20-analysis/.

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