Term Paper on Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets: Time and Decaylovely and more temperate...And summer's lease hath
Eventually, time and decay effect everything.all too short a date..." (lines 1,2 and 4). He is saying to
Shakespeare uses this theme in many of his sonnets.his friend that he is in the height of his perfection
The sonnets give no hint of an afterlife and expressright now, but it will not last for very long. Again
that nothing survives time. Shakespeare usedtowards the end of the sonnet he tells him that he
numerous methods to depict this theme includingshall conquer time and decay by being immortal in his
personification, metaphors and similes. Even thoughpoetry "But thy eternal summer shall not fade...When
Shakespeare says that time destroys everything, hein eternal lines to time thou grow'st" (lines 9 and 12).
also addresses how to "defeat" time to a degree.Sonnet 73 is a little different because Shakespeare is
One way to "defeat" time is to marry and havemaking a plea to the dark lady because their love is
children. A person's offspring will in some measuredying. The whole sonnet has indications of fall such as
carry him or her on throughout time. Shakespeare"That time of year thou mayst in me behold when
also believed that poetry is immortal and those whoyellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang..." (lines 1 and
are featured in them will be also. He offers this2). This is making use of the cycle of the year again
immortality to his friend and the dark lady. This paperand he is expressing that he is in middle age and
will examine the theme of time and decay in sonnetssoon approaching twilight or death
15, 18, and 73."In me thou seest the twilight of such a day
In sonnet 15, Shakespeare writes about the changesAs after sunset fadeth in the west;
that people go through and maturity. In it the sonnetWhich by and by black night doth take away,
states that perfection only lasts for a little time. HeDeath's second self that seals up all in rest." (Lines
writes, "When I consider every thing that grows5-8)
holds in perfection but a little moment..." (lines 1 -2).He is saying that he is past his moment of perfection
He compares men to plants and says that theyand that death will come soon. Time and decay have
display themselves at the height of their perfectionstarted to affect him. In the last couplet of the
and then are slowly forgotten. In other words life issonnet he states that the dark lady should value him
like a flower that blooms. It bursts out with beautymore because he won't be here for long, instead of
and then time and decay cause it to slowly witherforgetting him because he is no longer in his moment
away to old age and death. In the last couplet of theof perfection.
sonnet, Shakespeare gives his friend a way to winShakespeare used the theme of time and decay
the war with time and decay and implant his beautyfrequently in his sonnets. He states that everything
again. The way offers this is to be featured in hishas a brief moment of perfection, which is it's
poetry. What better way to "live on" then to bematurity, and then slowly withers and dies away. He
read about for centuries?uses many different ways to get this point across
The cycle of the year is used to describe life inincluding the comparison of life to a year and a day.
sonnet 18. Spring equals youth, summer equalsShakespeare also tells of how time and decay might
maturity and perfection, fall equals middle age andbe "defeated". He gives this "immortality to his friend
winter equals old age. Shakespeare writes "Shall Iand the dark lady through the written word.
compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more