Regardless of which theme he explores, Shakespeare always manages to put forward a convincing argument for his viewpoint. Discuss.
Without a doubt, Shakespeare’s ability to explore any theme he likes with great ease is evident in any number of his sonnets. His most commonly-explored themes are time, death, love, beauty and poetry, and he explores these themes in a number of ways.
Many of Shakespeare’s sonnets seem to focus on the beauty of the sonnet’s muse. A notable example of this is “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” (Sonnet 18). In this poem, Shakespeare begins to ponder whether or not it would be appropriate to compare his loved one to a summer’s day. For most poets, this comparison would be enough to show that they think their muse is very beautiful. However, Shakespeare decides that this comparison does not show how beautiful his loved one is and decides instead to point out all of summer’s failings when compared to this person.
“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;” - Sonnet 18
Meanwhile, in “Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore” (Sonnet 60), Shakespeare complains that (for the most part) beauty is too short-lived because time works against it, and again uses this as an excuse to claim that his love for his muse is much stronger than that of anyone else and this love and the life of this poem will be everlasting.
“Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth,
And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.” - Sonnet 60
However, although the theme of “beauty” is explored well in Sonnet 60, this is not the main theme. Here, Shakespeare is able to create an impressive overlap between beauty and time. He compares the passing of time to the waves washing up on the shore one after another in the same way that out minutes pass one after another out of our control. Each minute of our lives is followed by the next and these minutes carry us on towards our own impending deaths. This metaphor neatly describes the passing of time and the theme allows the poem to take the form of a structured argument.
“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end,
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.” - Sonnet 60
This theme is also explored in Sonnet 116, or “Let me not to the marriage of true minds”. Here, Shakespeare discusses time on the basis that time does not (or should not) affect someone’s love for another if they truly love them. Shakespeare’s method of exploring themes by suggesting arguments around them is another reason that he is always able to put forward a convincing argument for his point of view. The use of this method also means that Shakespeare's poetry may be referred to as “metaphysical poetry”.
“Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.” - Sonnet 116
In some of his sonnets, Shakespeare chooses to explore the theme of death by personifying it as a living, walking spectre that physically removes its victims from existence. An example of this is to be found in Sonnet 18 where he says that his loved one will never truly die, but chooses to paint an image of “death” bragging about the people it has taken, and the dead being forced to walk in its shadow. This strong and vivid imagery is another reason that Shakespeare is always able to put forward a convincing argument for his viewpoint.
“Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,” - Sonnet 18
To conclude, it is very clear that no matter what theme Shakespeare chooses to explore, he is able to make convincing arguments for his viewpoints. He manages to do this through sensuous imagery, clear conviction and belief in his opinions and through structured arguments.
Many of Shakespeare’s sonnets seem to focus on the beauty of the sonnet’s muse. A notable example of this is “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” (Sonnet 18). In this poem, Shakespeare begins to ponder whether or not it would be appropriate to compare his loved one to a summer’s day. For most poets, this comparison would be enough to show that they think their muse is very beautiful. However, Shakespeare decides that this comparison does not show how beautiful his loved one is and decides instead to point out all of summer’s failings when compared to this person.
“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;” - Sonnet 18
Meanwhile, in “Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore” (Sonnet 60), Shakespeare complains that (for the most part) beauty is too short-lived because time works against it, and again uses this as an excuse to claim that his love for his muse is much stronger than that of anyone else and this love and the life of this poem will be everlasting.
“Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth,
And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.” - Sonnet 60
However, although the theme of “beauty” is explored well in Sonnet 60, this is not the main theme. Here, Shakespeare is able to create an impressive overlap between beauty and time. He compares the passing of time to the waves washing up on the shore one after another in the same way that out minutes pass one after another out of our control. Each minute of our lives is followed by the next and these minutes carry us on towards our own impending deaths. This metaphor neatly describes the passing of time and the theme allows the poem to take the form of a structured argument.
“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end,
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.” - Sonnet 60
This theme is also explored in Sonnet 116, or “Let me not to the marriage of true minds”. Here, Shakespeare discusses time on the basis that time does not (or should not) affect someone’s love for another if they truly love them. Shakespeare’s method of exploring themes by suggesting arguments around them is another reason that he is always able to put forward a convincing argument for his point of view. The use of this method also means that Shakespeare's poetry may be referred to as “metaphysical poetry”.
“Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.” - Sonnet 116
In some of his sonnets, Shakespeare chooses to explore the theme of death by personifying it as a living, walking spectre that physically removes its victims from existence. An example of this is to be found in Sonnet 18 where he says that his loved one will never truly die, but chooses to paint an image of “death” bragging about the people it has taken, and the dead being forced to walk in its shadow. This strong and vivid imagery is another reason that Shakespeare is always able to put forward a convincing argument for his viewpoint.
“Nor shall Death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,” - Sonnet 18
To conclude, it is very clear that no matter what theme Shakespeare chooses to explore, he is able to make convincing arguments for his viewpoints. He manages to do this through sensuous imagery, clear conviction and belief in his opinions and through structured arguments.
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