Sonnets The Power of Love Essay - 1581 Words

Sonnets: The Power of Love The majority of Elizabethan sonnets reflect two major themes: time and love. William Shakespeare, too, followed this convention, producing 154 sonnets, many of which deal with the usual theme of love. Because the concept of love is in itself so immense, Shakespeare found several ways to capture the essence of his passion. Therefore, in his poetry he explored various methods and used them to describe the emotions associated with his love for a mysterious dark lady. These various ideas and views resulted in a series of sonnets that vibrantly depicts his feelings of true, undying love for his lady. Instead of making the topic less interesting, as some might expect, Shakespeares myriad approaches†¦show more content†¦In Sonnet 43, Shakespeare writes that his love has great powers, to make the world transform from darkness to light. The days are dark and sad until he saw her, but his nights are always bright from sight of her in his dreams: All days are nights to see till I see t hee,/ All nights bright days when dreams do show thee me. In the sonnet that follows, he extends this idea by saying, If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,/ Injurious distance should not stop my way. Here, Shakespeare wishes he were thought, for if this were true, he could always be with his lady; thought, unlike himself, can travel great distances to find her and is always welcomed into her mind. This theme is again expressed in Sonnet 47, in which Shakespeare settled the argument over possession of his lady between his eyes and heart: Thyself, away, are present still with me;/ For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move. Even if his eyes arent gifted with the sight of her, he can feel her nearness in his thoughts. In Sonnet 52, Shakespeare compares himself to a wealthy man who treasures his jewels, like he prizes his lady: So am I as the rich whose blessà ¨d key/ Can bring him to his sweet up-lockà ¨d treasure. For him, the key to his riches is his thoughts, which bring him immediately to his love. Many of Shakespeares sonnets also focus on the extent of his love, such as the sacrifices he makes for hisShow MoreRelatedThe Power of Love in Sonnets by Petrarch Surrey and Wyatt2243 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ The Power of Love in Sonnets by Petrarch, Surrey and Wyatt Francesco Petrarch, Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey were three of the greatest poets in history. They were truly visionaries in their work and with their origination of the sonnet, they crafted poems of love in all its incredible forms. With these poets, we are able to see how the sonnet evolved into the form popularized by Shakespeare and even how it still influences the modern poetry of today. 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