Shakespearean Sonnets:
A Shakespearean sonnet is a variation on the Italian sonnet tradition. The
form evolved in England during and around the time of the Elizabethan era.
These sonnets are sometimes referred to as Elizabethan sonnets or English
sonnets.
Although Shakespeare’s sonnets have prominently endured for centuries,
he was hardly alone in his embrace of this poetic style. Many prominent
English poets of the day, from John Donne to John Milton, also wrote
sonnets.
Shakespearean sonnets feature the following elements:
They are fourteen lines long.
The fourteen lines are divided into four subgroups.
The first three subgroups have four lines each, which makes them
“quatrains,” with the second and fourth lines of each group containing
rhyming words.
The sonnet then concludes with a two-line subgroup, and these two
lines rhyme with each other.
There are typically ten syllables per line, which are phrased in iambic
pentameter
Themes of Shakespearean Sonnets
Shakespearean sonnet themes explore the ideas of love, aging, beauty, time, lust,
practical obligations, and feelings of incompetence. These themes emerge
from Shakespeare's descriptions of the relationships between his characters. They
are also evident in his use of narrative language and explanations of the speaker's
internal feelings. Additional Shakespearean sonnet themes include the struggle
between what collective society is willing to accept and an individual's desires.
Idea of Beauty and Aging:
Within Shakespeare's poetry is the idea that beauty disappears with time, making
a person less desirable and somewhat depressed about his own existence. The
idea behind one of the most prolific Shakespearean sonnet themes is that
children should be born to maintain beauty. Since the ability to maintain an ideal
physique and set of appealing looks is impossible, the only hope is to create the
next generation that will inherit those features. Time is seen as an enemy to
vitality, value, and physical identity.
Idea of real love and simple sexual desire:
Another of the Shakespearean sonnet themes focuses on the idea of conflict
between real love and simple sexual desire. In the poet's view, there is often
confusion between which is which. Lust can disguise itself as love and is easily
mistaken for it. A temptation exists to pursue that which is visually enticing,
rather than taking the time to discover genuine feeling.
Idea of Love:
Shakespeare also explores the idea that love or feelings of love can be harmful. In
the language of his poetry, the author describes the emotional and physical
effects of being involved in romantic relationships. Disease is one of the
consequences, in addition to the negative feelings of isolation that occur upon
separation. There is also the risk of vulnerability by being in a romantic
relationship, since the individuals' lives, decisions, and self-concepts become
dependent upon one another.
Use of symbols:
Within Shakespearean sonnet themes is the use of symbols. Some of those
include stars, trees, flowers, and weather. For example, the recurrent symbol of
weather and seasons is used to communicate the turbulent nature behind human
feeling. Relationships often go through the same type of cycles that weather
patterns do, which Shakespeare clearly illustrates in the language of some of his
verses.
Idea of an individual’s ability to create own fate:
The symbol of stars is used by the author to communicate the idea of destiny.
Rather than accepting the idea that destiny is predetermined, Shakespeare
explores the idea of an individual's ability to create his own fate. Flowers and
trees represent the delicate nature of life and beauty. In some ways, possessing
beauty obligates a person to have children and ensure a more favorable set of
circumstances for future generations.
Conclusion:
The sonnets composed by Shakespeare became the most popular genre in
English literature widely read and acknowledged by the readers across the
globe.
