A Comparison of Shakespeare`s Sonnets

Realistic and Unrealistic Praise of the Beloved

William Shakespeare 's Sonnet 18 , Shall I compare thee to a summer 's day is written in praise of a beloved with undying beauty and youth . The poet attempts to compare the youthful beauty of the beloved with the charms of the summer day , before he goes on to describe that the passing of time and of life do fade beauty essentially . All the same , the beautiful one being praised in the sonnet will be alive so long as there are living people who appreciate poetry

. In other words , the one being praised in the sonnet cannot be compared to the summer 's day because the latter is not as perfectly proportioned in terms of its elements . Thus although the darling buds of May ' can be compared to an element of beauty in the poet 's beloved , for example , his or her facial features the rough winds ' have no way to be compared to the eternally beautiful one

This sonnet is as conventional in style as Sonnet 130 , My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun . Both of these sonnets reveal the art of sonnet creation in its perfected form . Even so , Sonnet 130 does not praise a perfectly beautiful beloved . The beloved in this sonnet is the poet 's mistress who cannot be compared to the sun , the snow , and the music , etc , given that she is imperfect . Coral is redder than her lips are . Snow is whiter than her breasts are . There are no roses in her cheeks . She cannot be compared to a goddess either . And yet , the love that the poet feels for the lady is rare ' Despite her imperfection he loves her very much

Shakespeare 's sonnet , My mistress ' eyes are nothing like the sun is definitely more realistic than Shall I compare thee to a summer 's day It is obvious to the reader that the poet 's beloved may not have breasts that are whiter than snow , nor would she have real roses in her cheeks On the other hand , Shall I compare thee to a summer 's day ? claims that the one being praised in the

REALISTIC AND UNREALISTIC PRAISE OF THE BELOVED

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sonnet would be undyingly young and beautiful . This , to the reader appears as an exaggeration . It is unrealistic , seeing that the passing of time and of life do also ravage beauty and youth . Besides , even though the reader can agree with the poet when he claims that those who appreciate poetry would continue to see the poet 's praised one as young and beautiful - the mere fact that the poet has mentioned this , puts the reader in suspicion . To put it another way , the reader understands that the praised one must also have gone through the ravages of time Similarly , the praised one must also have died in this lifetime . Hence it becomes unrealistic to remain supposing that the poet 's beloved is eternally alive and beautiful . It is easier...