Critical Analysis of Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare
by Barry Wright
Essay: Critical Analysis of Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare
Pages: 10
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Critical Analysis of Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) lived in a time of religious turbulence. During the Renaissance people began to
move away from the Church. Authors began to focus on the morals of the individual and on less lofty ideals than
those of the Middle Ages. Shakespeare wrote one-hundred fifty-four sonnets during his lifetime. Within these
sonnets he largely explored romantic love, not the love of God. In Sonnet 29 Shakespeare uses specific word
choice and rhyme to show the reader that it is easy to be hopeful when life is going well, but love is always there,
for rich and poor alike, even when religion fails.
The first line is “When, in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes.” The very first word shows that the condition
which will be explored in the sonnet is a temporary thing. It comes and goes like a beggar or like an outcast.
Shakespeare used the word “when” to put the reader into the time that will be referred to. It automatically calls to
mind an occurrence, and it makes the reader continue into the piece, trying to find out what Shakespeare will
make occur. The next words are “in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes.” It seems that Shakespeare’s persona is
down on his luck. Fortune, noticeably, is capitalized. This makes it a proper noun, a name perhaps. Shakespeare,
on the other hand, could be trying to show the reader that fortune is something important, something that has
power and meaning. Continuing into the line, “men’s eyes” appears. Notice that it is men’s eyes, not women’s eyes
or man’s eyes. The latter, man’s eyes, would make it seem as if the persona was in disgrace with all of mankind, yet
Shakespeare specifically chose to have disgrace in “men’s eyes.” This sh...
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