Comparative Analysis of Love portrayed in two Poems
.docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Kenyatta University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
206
Subject
English
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
6
Uploaded by ChiefIce6701
Running head: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOVE PORTRAYED IN TWO POEMS
1
Comparative Analysis of Love portrayed in two Poems
Student Name
Institution of affiliation
Course Code: Course Name
Professor
Due Date
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOVE PORTRAYED IN TWO POEMS
2
Comparative Analysis of Love in two Poems
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have a strong love that changes how you perceive the world around you? William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Barrett Browning explored this concept throughout their poetry. It is never more evident than in their respective sonnets, Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 43 from Sonnets from the Portuguese. Both poets use vivid imagery and language to describe the beauty and power of love. Still, comparing their two works reveals how two poets can communicate the same sentiment in two very different ways. This essay explores how William Shakespeare and Elizabeth Barrett Browning use their poetic devices to convey their messages of love.
The theme that unifies Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare and Sonnets from Portuguese 43 is the power of love and its ability to transcend time. Both sonnets speak of the beauty and longevity of love, with Shakespeare's sonnet focusing on the strength of poetry to immortalize the beloved and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem focusing on the power of love to remain constant through time. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare and Sonnet 43 by the Portuguese explore the concept of love and adoration, but they do so in very different ways. In Sonnet 18, Shakespeare paints a beautiful portrait of his beloved, praising their beauty and declaring his love for them. He compares his beloved to a summer's day to highlight their radiance and beauty.
In Sonnet 43 from Portuguese, Elizabeth Barrett Browning's speaker is in love with her beloved, and she expresses her deep love for him in beautiful language. She speaks of their spiritual connection, expressing the desire to be with him forever. The two sonnets share some similarities concerning their themes and language. They both
use strong imagery and metaphors to express their love and admiration. Shakespeare uses the words: "lovely," "shines," "more temperate," "heart," and "summer's lease hath all too short a
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOVE PORTRAYED IN TWO POEMS
3
date." These all represent his physical attraction to the lady he writes about in the poem. He uses this imagery to paint a picture of her beauty in his mind. The Portuguese poet uses the language: "I love thee to the level of every day's" and the phrase "
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God chooses, I shall but love thee better after death." This imagery represents the beauty of the woman's soul that he is writing about in the sonnet. Both poets use the imagery of beauty to describe their love for their lovers, as the language of these lines is very romantic.
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare and the sonnets from Portuguese 43 are written in iambic pentameter, meaning they are composed of lines of ten syllables that alternate between an
unstressed syllable and a stressed syllable. Each line comprises five pairs of syllables (pentameter), and the poem's rhythm is an iambic meter, where a stressed syllable follows an unstressed syllable. For example, Sonnet 18 first verse is "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" with ten syllables - 5 unstressed and five stressed. Similarly, the Portuguese Sonnet 43's first verse is "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways," which is also written in iambic pentameter.
Both poems contain a volta at the end. The volta in Sonnet 18 occurs in the final two lines, where the speaker shifts from talking about the beauty of a beloved to eternity. He states that his beloved's beauty will never die since it will be preserved in the poem and live on forever.
The volta in Sonnets from Portuguese 43 occurs in the final two lines, where the speaker shifts from her inner struggles to the peace and happiness that comes from trusting in God's will. She states that she will accept whatever comes her way and put her faith in God's plan. Both sonnets express the poet's desire for the beloved to live on in memory after death by using imagery and metaphors to describe the beloved's beauty and how it will be immortalized in the poet's
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help