Table of ContentsOutline of the SonnetIntroductionBiographical BackgroundSonnet No. 18: Love, Time, and True BeautyLiterary Devices in Sonnet No. 18ConclusionSample Essay on the SonnetWorks Cited Outline of the SonnetIntroductionDefinition and Meaning of sonnetsIntroduction to William Shakespeare's sonnets and their themesBiographical backgroundBrief overview of the life and early years of William ShakespeareEducation and familyTransition to London and success as a playwrightSonnet #18: Love, time and true beautyAnalysis of the themes of Sonnet #18Examination of the theme of love and its representation in the sonnetExploration of the relationship between time and beauty in the poemDiscussion of the concept of true beauty and its representation in the sonnetLiterary devices in the sonnet #18Identification and explanation of literary devices used in the sonnetExamples of metaphors, hyperbole, allegory and personificationThe role of diction and rhyme scheme in the structure of the sonnetConclusionSummary of the importance and effectiveness of Sonnet #18 in conveying its themesReflection on William's skill Shakespeare in the development of this sonnetSonnet Essay ExampleSonnets are known by their structure. A sonnet is a 14-line poem that usually has a rhyme scheme. William Shakespeare wrote over 100 sonnets, but they are known not for their sonnet-like structure, but for their moving themes or underlying messages. Much of Shakespeare's sonnet depicts obsessive love. The most famous sonnet written by William Shakespeare among over 100 would have to be Sonnet No. 18. Specifically, in “Sonnet #18,” William Shakespeare uses metaphors, images, allegories, and similes to show the main ideas of love, time, and true beauty. William Shakespeare is believed to have been born in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom on April 23, 1554, to his parents John and Mary Shakespeare. Three days later, on April 26, he was baptized. He attended school in Stratford. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay When Shakespeare was around 14 years old, his father's finances began to suffer. At this point, some people believe he was removed from school, but there is no solid evidence that that is what happened. At the age of 18, he met Anne Hathaway, got her pregnant, but obtained permission to marry her under special circumstances. They had three children Susanna, Hamnet and Judith. In the 1580s, Shakespeare left everything he knew, his home and family, to travel to London and launch his acting career. By 1592 he had become a success at playwriting in London, writing poems, sonnets, plays, etc. His name and work continued to grow in popularity and in 1599 the Globe Theater was built and opened. The Globe Theater is the reason Shakespeare made a lot of money. He didn't care where his family was and began working as a prostitute. In the 1600s, he wrote the major plays we know today, such as Othello, Macbeth and King Lear. At this point in his life, he reinvested himself in building a relationship with his children. In the summer of 1613 the Globe Theater burned down and he decided to return to Stratford, but he still had a fortune. William Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, 1616. The theme conveyed in Sonnet No. 18 is love, time, and true beauty. Let's start with the theme of love. As soon as you read the first two lines, you see the poet describing theperson as charming. “Should I compare you to a summer’s day?” You are more beautiful and more temperate: “A summer day is hot and terrible and the poet says that this person is much better than a summer day. The temporal aspect comes into play when the poet says: "And each fair after fair sometimes declines, by chance, or by the change of course of nature." Here we also see the connection between time and the theme of true beauty. “The first lines of the sonnet play on the proverbial formula “as good as one will see on a summer’s day”, meaning “as good as the best”. However, he goes on to refer to how time affects beauty. Time passes no matter what, nothing can stop it and as time passes we get older and our appearance will not stay the same. “Nor lose possession of what you owe.” Shakespeare is trying to convey that even though people age and their physical beauty is not visible, their true beauty lies within them. This poem talks a lot about the seasons, in a descriptive way. It is filled with imagery to help the reader feel what the poet is feeling. Literary critic Joanne Woolway says: "The 'darling buds of May' and the 'golden complexion' of summer days transport the reader to an idyllic pastoral world where the sun is always shining and nature is always renewing itself." “The violent winds shake the cherished buds of May. » The winds are described as violent and the buds are cherished, this gives the reader a feeling of touch and sight. “Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often its golden complexion fades.” Here the poet refers to the sun, while he appeals to the reader's senses, in this case, touch and sight, we can understand that the hot sun shines sometimes, but many times its rays warm and bright are blocked. As stated previously, one of the themes of Sonnet 18 is love but the tone of the poem could be described as endearing. We see the revelation of this tone early on when Shakespeare opens the sonnet with the question "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" ". When discussing the theme, I used this quote to show the poet's love for the person the sonnet was written to. because, but now I want to go further and apply it to the tone of the poem. Shakespeare asks this question and then does exactly what he just asked. This prompts the reader to dwell on this thought of love, and as the poem progresses, he continues to do so by keeping his attention drawn to this idea of ​​love. Sonnet #18 focuses on true beauty, with Shakespeare's choice of words illustrating this perfectly, such as "eternal", "possession", "nature", and "heaven". Throughout the poem, Shakespeare tries to convey that true beauty lies within and cannot fade away. These words play perfectly in this sense. “Nor lose possession of what you owe.” This line literally says don't lose possession of the beauty you have. If Shakespeare had chosen to use a different word here instead of "possession", the expression would not have had the same meaning. The word "eternal" is also important in this poem because one of the main ideas is that beauty lasts forever, and eternal literally means forever. Shakespeare hit the nail on the head with this one, eternal is probably the most emotive word he could have chosen to use. “In no other sonnet does the speaker match the serene confidence, even arrogance, with which the amateur poet of Sonnet 18 boasts of his power in rivalry with the “boast” of death. It all comes back to diction. When it comes to rhyme scheme, all Shakespearean poems are written.