William Shakespeare, in his Sonnet 73 and Sonnet 116, sets forth his vision of the unchanging, persi
stent and immovable nature of true love. According to Shakespeare, love is truly 'till death do u
s part,' and possibly beyond. Physical infirmity, the ravages of age, or even one's partner's inco
nstancy have no effect upon the affections of one who sincerely loves. His notion of love is not a
romantic one in which an idealized vision of a lover is embraced. Instead he recognizes the weaknes
ses to which we, as humans, are subject, but still asserts that love conquers all.
Sh
akespeare uses an array of figurative language to convey his message, including metaphor and personi
fication. Thus, in sonnet 73, he compares himself to a grove of trees in early winter, 'When yellow
leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,...' These lines s
eem to refer to an aged, balding man, bundled unsuccessfully against the weather. Perhaps, in a lar
ger sense, they refer to that time in our lives when our faculties are diminished and we can no long
er easily withstand the normal blows of life. He regards his body as a temple- a 'Bare ruined choir
[s]'- where sweet birds used to sing, but it is a body now going to ruin.
In Sonnet 1
16, love is seen as the North Star, the fixed point of guidance to ships lost upon the endless sea o
f the world. It is the point of reference and repose in this stormy, troubled world, 'an ever-fixed
mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken;...'
He personifies the coming of th
e end of his life as night, which is described as 'Death's second self' in sonnet 73. However, in S
onnet 116 death appears in the guise of the grim reaper, Father Time, who mows down all of our youth
, but still cannot conquer love- 'Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his ben
ding sickle's compass come;...'
While both poems make use of figurative language, son
net 73 uses far more imagery than sonnet 116. Sonnet 73 uses the image of the close of man's life a
s a wintry grove with the few remaining leaves shivering in the cold. A person's later years are th
e twilight of life, to which the night of death inevitably follows. Further, the end of life is com
pared to the embers of a dying fire, 'In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire That on the ashes o
f his youth doth lie,....' All of these images express the fading light of a life in decline. The
short, dark days of winter, the last rays at sunset and the glowing remnants beneath the ashes all e
voke the beauty of a once vibrant life which is coming to a close.
In contrast, sonne
t 116 presents two images. The first is that of the exploring seafarer, out on stormy, uncertain se
as with the North star of love as his only guide through them. Even though the seafarer attempts to
scientifically measure the worth of this love to him, it is immeasurable- 'It is the star to every
wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.'
The second imag
e in sonnet 116 is that of Time mowing down our rosy-cheeked youth. Even so, however, love is not e
nded by our brief time on this earth, but lasts until Judgment Day- 'Love alters not with his [Time'
s] brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom.'
F
inally, the tone of the two poems offers the greatest contrast between them. Sonnet 73 has a narrat
or who is somewhat detached and accepting of his infirmities. The entire main body of the sonnet, l
ines one through twelve, is a physical description of the narrator's decline, which is related in a
soft and melancholy voice. It is only the concluding couplet which brings home the message that the
strength of true love is shown when it exists in the face of the narrator's inevitable decline.
On the other hand, sonnet 116 has a passionate, didactic narrator. He orders and exhort
s the reader. He does not address the object of his affections, as does the narrator of sonnet 73,
but directly addresses his audience.- 'Let no man to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments.'
This narrator uses his concluding couplet almost as an ironic aside. You can almost see him speakin
g to his audience from behind the back of his hand- 'If this be error and upon me proved, I never wr
it , nor no man ever loved.' There seems little likelihood that Shakespeare thought that he had to
worry about losing that bet.
In conclusion, while the two sonnets differ greatly in t
one, differ somewhat in imagery, and have some similarity and some difference in their use of figura
tive language, both express the universal desire for unconditional, never ending love. Sonnet 73 se
ems to say that even such a love ends at the grave, though.- 'To love that well which thou must leav
e ere long.' Sonnet 116 bears it out even to the end of the world. Either poem offers a vision of
love to which we can aspire.william shakespeare sonnet sonnet sets forth vision unchanging persisten
t immovable nature true love according shakespeare love truly till death part possibly beyond physic
al infirmity ravages even partner inconstancy have effect upon affections sincerely loves notion lov
e romantic which idealized vision lover embraced instead recognizes weaknesses which humans subject
still asserts that conquers shakespeare uses array figurative language convey message including meta
phor personification thus sonnet compares himself grove trees early winter when yellow leaves none h
ang upon those boughs which shake against cold these lines seem refer aged balding bundled unsuccess
fully against weather perhaps larger sense they refer that time lives when faculties diminished long
er easily withstand normal blows life regards body temple bare ruined choir where sweet birds used s
ing body going ruin seen north star fixed point guidance ships lost upon endless world point referen
ce repose this stormy troubled world ever fixed mark that looks tempests never shaken personifies co
ming life night described death second self however death appears guise grim reaper father time mows
down youth still cannot conquer time fool though rosy lips cheeks within bending sickle compass com
e while both poems make figurative language uses more imagery than uses image close life wintry grov
e with remaining leaves shivering cold person later years twilight night inevitably follows further
compared embers dying fire thou glowing such fire ashes youth doth these images express fading light
decline short dark days winter last rays sunset glowing remnants beneath ashes evoke beauty once vi
brant coming close contrast presents images first exploring seafarer stormy uncertain seas with nort
h star only guide through them even though seafarer attempts scientifically measure worth this immea
surable star every wandering bark whose worth unknown although height taken second image mowing down
rosy cheeked youth even however ended brief this earth lasts until judgment alters with brief hours
weeks bears edge doom finally tone poems offers greatest contrast between them narrator somewhat de
tached accepting infirmities entire main body lines through twelve physical description narrator dec
line related soft melancholy voice only concluding couplet brings home message strength true shown w
hen exists face narrator inevitable decline other hand passionate didactic orders exhorts reader doe
s address object affections does directly addresses audience marriage true minds admit impediments c
oncluding couplet almost ironic aside almost speaking audience from behind back hand error proved ne
ver writ ever loved there seems little likelihood thought worry about losing conclusion while sonnet
s differ greatly tone differ somewhat imagery have some similarity some difference their figurative
language both express universal desire unconditional never ending seems such ends grave though well
thou must leave long bears world either poem offers vision aspireEssay, essays, termpaper, term pape
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