Introduction
The chosen poem for the current work is Sonnet 18 written by William Shakespeare, and it was first published after the death of the author in 1609. The cultural context around the composition is enigmatic since there is no particular person to whom the poem is devoted. Some scholars have identified the two figures of ‘Young Man’ and ‘Dark Lady’ in the series of sonnets by Shakespeare (Crawforth). Nevertheless, the exact people that these names refer to are still unknown. Due to the alluring literary devices used in the poem and the cultural context surrounding it, Sonnet 18 has become one of the most famous works by William Shakespeare.
Context
It is crucial to note that while the sonnets are devoted to the figures of ‘Young Man’ or ‘Fair Youth’ and ‘Dark Lady’, the characters depicted in the poems are not always the mentioned-above persons. For instance, in Sonnet 18, the two actors are unidentified friends or lovers, and they do not represent a ‘Fair Youth’ and ‘Dark Lady’. It demonstrates that Shakespeare, in the tribute to these enigmatic individuals, does not write about them but rather for them. That is exactly why such themes as time, death, and eternity persist continually through the series of sonnets (Al-Mamouri 457). The selected lines demonstrate the ubiquity of the mentioned subjects:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. (Shakespeare 18.13-14)
William Shakespeare wanted to perpetuate the relationship between him and his dear friends in the cycle of poetry.
Theme and Setting
In terms of general themes, Sonnet 18 differs slightly from the rest of the poems since one of its main subjects is love, and the issue of eternity follows it. The passage demonstrates the romantic component of the sonnet:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate (Shakespeare 18.1-2)
Nevertheless, the romance described by the author is not necessarily sexual but rather is highlighted by genuine and heartwarming feelings that one might feel toward another. Furthermore, neither the gender of the speaker nor the listener is specified in the poem, making it more difficult for the readers to comprehend the setting and the subtext. In the composition, Shakespeare creates a romantic atmosphere through both literary devices and the environment of the sonnet. The speaker continually compares the aesthetics of the listener with the summer weather, making readers imagine the visuals of sun, wind, and rain. However, unlike the unpredictable English weather, the beauty of the listener is more fundamental:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; (Shakespeare 18.9-10)
Literary Devices
To better represent the setting of the sonnet, Shakespeare uses various sound and literary devices. First, the author continually uses the repetition of the words ‘summer’, ‘eternal’, and ‘fair’, making one retort to the imagery of sun and warmth. Concerning the auditory part, Shakespeare uses assonance, e.g. the fifth line heavily utilizes the ‘ai’ sound:
Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines (Shakespeare 18.5).
The usage of metaphor, as a literary device, is also observed in the sonnet. The speaker directly compares the listener with the weather in England, making the usage of metaphor apparent:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; (Shakespeare 18.9-10)
In the passage, ‘eternal summer’ refers to the beauty of the listener and implies that this vision will be forever saved in the lines of the sonnet.
Structure and Tone
Sonnet 18 follows the standard Shakespearean structure and comprises fourteen lines in iambic pentameter. Such metric implies the consequent usage of unstressed and stressed syllables. Most lines of the poem follow the rule:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. (Shakespeare 18.13-14).
In the passage, the stressed syllables are highlighted and demonstrate the usage of a proper iambic pentameter. The rhythm of the sonnet is following: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The current scheme implies that the first and second lines of each stanza rhyme with the third and fourth ones correspondingly. The only exception from the rule is the last two rows which are rhymed with each other since standard sonnets only have fourteen lines.
Considering the purposes of the speaker, the tone of the poem is ambiguous. In the beginning, he (or she) proclaims affection endearingly but carefully using a rhetorical question:
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (Shakespeare 18.1)
The uncertainty is well represented in the tone of the current line. However, in the finishing rows, the speaker seems to be disappointed by the incapacity of metaphors to capture the beauty of the listener. His tone becomes more ascertain, and the usage of the word ‘shall’ completely changes from the first line:
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade (Shakespeare 18.11).
Conclusion
Evaluating the literary devices, structure, and cultural context of the poem, it is becoming evident why the works by Shakespeare, specifically Sonnet 18, have had such a powerful impact on English poetry. The themes of love and eternity are dominant in the composition and central to the works written by Shakespeare in general. It would seem like the author particularly succeeded in representing the issue of immortality. After all, even four hundred years later, the world still discusses his works, and it further proves the relevance of Shakespearean poetry.
Works Cited
Al-Mamouri, Aqueel, et al. “Shakespeare’s Sonnets’ Sequence and the Theme of Eternity.” International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, vol.12, no. 7, 2020, pp. 455-470.
Crawforth, Hannah. “An Introduction to Shakespeare’s Sonnets” The British Library, 2017.
Shakespeare, William. Shake-Speares Sonnets: Neuer Before Imprinted. Edited by Eld G. London, 1609.