What Shall I Compare Thee to

What Shall I Compare Thee to?——A Comparison Between Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 mainly on FigurativeLanguageR eading the single line “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” gives me a feeling that a breeze is caressing my cheeks. The line itself seems to be lovely and temperate. Sonnet 18 is definitely a thing of beauty. But where does its beauty come from?The guide reading given by our teacher enlarges the world of Sonnet 18 considerably. It is those magic crafts used by the poet that increase the beauty. Among those techniques, the figures of speech fascinate me most, so I choose to make a comparison between Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130, which is also rich in rhetorical devices.First of all, I’ll give a brief outline of the two poems. We know from our teacher that Sonnet 18-126 mainly talk about the Fair Youth while Sonnet 127-152 focus on the Dark Lady.In Sonnet 18, the poet explains the reason why he cannot compare “you” to a summer’s day and why “you” will never lose the beauty that “you” possess. The poet tells us that “you” will li ve forever in his eternal lines. And he has made it. In Sonnet 130, the poet tells the readers that although his mistress does not possess those characterist ics held by those “false compare” as the sun, the coral and the like, she is as rare as those women belied with false comparison in some untruthful poems. Both Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 are about the reason why the author cannot compare the beauty in his heart to something else, but the reasons and points of view are different. Although as time goes by, the symbol of beauty in the poet’s heart has changed, the beauty itself is a joy for ever.“What Shall I Compare Thee to?” William Shakespeare might have been puzzled. Because we know that he cannot compare the beauty in his heart to a summer’s day in Sonnet 18 or anything connected with “false comparison” in Sonnet 130. But for the most part, I think it is not a problem for him at all. He takes comparison as a way to express his ideas. And those images in his poems actually serve as a foil to “you” and his mistress. What are the other ways used by him then? The next step, I will make a comparison between Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 on figurative language. Similarities:1) SimileSimile is the most obvious figurative language used in these two sonnets.Sonnet 18: “compare”Sonnet 130: “like”2) MetaphorSonnet 18: “lease” indicates the length of summer.Sonnet 130: “snow” and “wires” refers to the poet’s mistress’ breasts and hairs.3) AlliterationSonnet 18: “Fair from fair”, fair-fairSonnet 130: “My mistress”“White, why”“I grant I never saw a Goddess go.” Grant-Goddess-go4) InversionSonnet 18: “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date”,“And often is his gold complexion dimmed.”Sonnet 130: “But no such rose s see I in her cheeks;And in some perfumes is there more delight.”5) HyperboleHyperbole is used in Sonnet 18 to emphasize the idea that “you” will live forever in lines. Hyperbole is also served as an outlet of emotion. We all know, in reality, as a hu man being, “thy summer”(“your youth”) will not be eternal and “you” will die, too. However, thanks to hyperbole the theme of the poet is revealed, that’s why this kind of figurative language is welcomed.And in Sonnet 130, verses like “Coral is far mor e red than her lips’ red” and “Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks” apply hyperbole. This kind of hyperbole helps to create a strong sense of sarcasm because the couplet: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare” reveals the fact that the above lines are in an ironic tone.As Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 300 both belong to Shakespearean sonnets, they also share some similarities in rhyme, rhythm and structure. For instance, both of the two poems are sonnets composed of three quatrains and one rhyming couplet. And they are iambic pentameter and have the same rhyme scheme: a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g. And that explains why reading Shakespearean sonnets gives me a feeling of reading “Say Goodbye to Cambridge Again” written by Xu Zhimo.Differences:There are also some figures of speech not shared by both.Sonnet 18Rhetorical question: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The poet answers the question in the following lines. (T he line in Sonnet 130 “If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun” is not a rhetorical question. The word “Why” is just an interjection.)Personification: “his gold complexion”, “the eye of heaven” and “darling buds”. Pun: “fair” means beauty both as a person and as an abstract c oncept.The word “summer” refers to beauty and youth.Synecdoche: “lines” represents the whole poem.Sonnet 130Irony:The exaggerated comparison listed in the sonnet is strongly rejected by William Shakespeare. By searching the internet, I know Sonnet 130 was written as a parody of a Petrarchan sonnet. William Shakespeare makes fun of the false comparison in traditional Petrarchan sonnet. And his mistress seems more real compared to those “Goddess-like” women in Petrarchan sonnets.Through the use of exaggeration as mentioned above, a sense of irony has been created. The poet’s mistress is not weak in every aspect; on the contrary, she is just not perfect. And because she is not perfect, the poet loves her. She is real, tangible, not as distant as a Go ddess, and that’s exactly why the poet favors her and for what the poet compliments her for.William Shakespeare is a wise poet. In Sonnet 130, he takes irony as a way of expressing his own feeling. The poet is as authentic as his mistress because he understands the truth essence of poetry: a natural revelation of the poet’s true feelings. Likewise, in my point of view, since we can compare lip to cherry, why not coral? There is also a Chinese saying: “She is lovely enough to make fish sink and geese settle and her beauty would make the moon’s complexion dimmed and put the flowers to shame.” And it is commonly used too. Not natural? Should be blamed of? It depends. I think even if all people except the poet think the poe t’s lover is extremely ugly, nevertheless, he himself thinks she is a beauty, he still has the right to compare her to a Goddess. But if a poet compares his lover to a Goddess not because he feels so, but for being influenced by others, this comparison has turned to be a clichéindeed.In conclusion, my essay focuses on the comparison of Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 mainly on the rhetorical devices. I give a brief introduction of the two poems in the first part and then make a comparison (similarities and differences) between the two on figurative language in the second part. I also add something about the rhyme, rhythm and structure of the two sonnets into the similarities part.There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes. Although different people may hold different points of view towards the same poem, to learn something about the crafts or techniques used by poets is beneficial and full of interests. And it is also funny to think about the question: “What shall I compare thee to?”。