Sonnet Essay
Sonnet 71(LXXI) expresses bitterness, self-pity, disillusionment and cynicism of love and love pursued in vain. Shakespeare's predicament is not a new one, anyone who has experienced life can relate but there is no dignity in his words. Sonnet 138 (CXXXVIII) expresses none of the previous judgements on love but instead expresses a more grounded less tormented view. Still cynical of the romantics' view of love but to its reality, it is calm, even celebratory. With further understanding of the writer it becomes clear that this is a progression. >From the pain of unrequited love to the embrace of the significance of a real, down-to-earth, loving relationship. Unrequited love in this first sonnet, LXXI is apparent in both overview and in specific parts. This overview expresses an anxiety formed from this love not received. With his reference to being with the worms and later in the earth he tries to persuade that his love rots there too. His love neigh had a chance to be given, only recorded in this sonnet, a sonnet whose writer's name shall not be rehearsed. This leads to a disillusionment of love as a concept. The disillusionment is perhaps the first of these negative feelings, encompassed
There is bitterness in this sonnet for both this situation and love as a reason for being that builds to this point to become the emotion of the next few lines. This love as a real form and not that of an out of proportion fantasy is evident throughout and is in direct contrast to sonnet LXXI. The fifth and sixth lines go further, asking not only for no mourning but no memory of his name. Line eight states, "If thinking on me should make you woe". Here Shakespeare states that the intentioned reader would not attend his funeral, thus miss hearing the church bell's toll. There is shown within this relationship a game that is playful, playful in both mood and in the mutually gratifying course of discussions. In the last two lines flow from bitter to slightly bitter and twisted, warning that if the reader's love did not decay, then when this reader moans about lost opportunity, lost love, the "wise world" shall "mock you with me when I am gone". First the reader is asked not to mourn Shakespeare's passing anymore than the reader would have the opportunity to hear the surly, sullen bell. This symbolizes the comfortable intimacy of the relationship to which he refers. The moods of the poems differ significantly as has been shown. >From line nine onwards, a celebration breaks forth as if it could not be suppressed a moment longer;But wherefore says she not she is unjust?And wherefore say not I that I am old?Is she wrong? Am I old? Does it matter? These are the questions that Shakespeare asks and to go further, he states that within love, age can be a blissful ignorance. There are no extremes, none of the more bitter cynicism and none of the anxiety of the first sonnet. This cynicism is not of love its self, not the way Shakespeare sees love, this cynicism is of the romantics views. The first eight lines of sonnet CXXXVIII bring about feelings of cynicism, reducing a loving relationship into a mind game, fueled by and fought with well intentioned, white lies. This sonnet shows a bitter cynicism apart from the bitterness of life and bitterness of this situation.
Common topics in this essay:
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John Donne,
shakespeare love,
sonnet lxxi,
love decay,
cynicism love,
unrequited love,
loving relationship,
final lines,
death request,
bitter cynicism,
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