"Sonnet 18," written by William Shakespeare during the Renaissance Period is very much a reflection of the poet's own feelings of immortalising beauty which is captured magically amongst the quatrains. This is depicted utilising a number of poetic devices throughout the sonnet and reflects the period within which it was written. Tensions within the poem are effectively displayed in a simplistic, yet tight form, which is representative of the features of a sonnet.
             By naming the poem, "Sonnet 18" in a series of some 154 Sonnets, this indicates the sonnets are part of a series, all based on similar themes (Internet quote:name). The theme of the preceding 17 Sonnets, to preserve beauty against time and decay, is again captured within the lines of "Sonnet 18." The love Shakespeare has for the fair youth in "Sonnet 18" is of the same similar theme (Blakemore 1974)
             The word, sonnet, is from the Italian word, "Sonnetto," and means, "little song." A sonnet follows a tight and metrical rhyme scheme and is a formally specific 14-line poem. "Sonnet 18" is a Shakespearian sonnet featuring three quatrains and a couplet, rhyming: abab, cdcd, efef, gg. A sonnet contains a favored subject, which in this Sonnet, is love (Murfin & Ray 1998). The poem begins with a question: "Shall I compare thee to a Summers day?" (Shakespeare 473) which engages the audience to read on and find the answer. Punctuation such as commas and colans at the end of each line serve to provide a pause in the flow of the sonnet rather than the use of a full stop. This gives continued rhythm to the flow of the words.
             The sonnet flows with an Iambic Pentameter, giving it a song-like rhythm with ten syllables in each line. The couplet ending the sonnet follows a monosyllabic staccato form of one-syllable words. This gives emphasis and establishes one final time that beauty is everlasting. The tone of the poem is light and positive, with simple, uncomplicated diction. Punct...