An A in English

cork94

whistlin_boy wrote: »

would you like to put up the sample answer for shall i compare thee (officially known as sonnet no. 18:P)

ok, here it goes:

A poem that I have studied is "Shall I Compare Thee" by William Shakespeare. This Shakespearean sonnet explores the eternal nature of love. The poet cleverly compares his loved ones beauty to a summers day. He believes that his loved one is "more lovely and more temperate". The poet emphasises the negative qualities of a summer's day "rough winds do shake the darling buds of May". He expresses his disappointment where "sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines and often is his gold complexion dimmed". The tone of sadness is felt where the beauty of nature is exposed to decay "And every fair from fair sometimes declines""natures changing course".

The 2nd quatrain continues the thought of the first. That is that his love is more beautiful than a summer's day. But a change of tone is evident when the poets thoughts reflect those of the beauty of his loved one which will not fade, "Thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st". The poet is delighted that the raveges of time and decay won't effect his loved ones beauty where "nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade". The poet finally reveals that his beloved's beauty is to be preserved through the immortalityof poetry where "eternal lines to time thou growst". The couplet again reinforces and emphasises the eternal nature of love to be preserved by poetry "so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee".

you will probably have to add some more for the exam and change it a little but it's a good base for your answer.