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SONNET 18: SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER'S DAY? - Coggle Diagram
SONNET 18: SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER'S DAY?
STRUCTURE
It consists of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter. The rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEFEFGG
LITERARY DEVICES
Metaphor
The sonnet begins with a metaphor, comparing the beloved to a summer's day
Personification
Nature is personified in various ways, such as in the line "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May," where winds are given the human ability to shake
Volta
In line 9, there is a volta, or turn, which is common in sonnets. The poem shifts from discussing the fleeting nature of a summer's day to the eternal beauty of the beloved. This shift is signaled by the word "But":
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Hyperbole
Exaggeration is used to emphasize the permanence of the beloved's beauty, as in "thy eternal summer shall not fade."
Imagery
Vivid imagery is used to bring the comparison to life. Examples include "the eye of heaven" (the sun) and "gold complexion" (the sun's warmth and color)
CONCLUSION
On the final couplet Shakespeare asserts that as long as people live and read the poem, the beauty of the beloved will live on
THEME AND TONE
THEME
A central theme is the immortality of the beloved's beauty through poetry. The speaker argues that while a summer's day is temporary, the beloved's beauty will be eternal because it is immortalized in the sonnet
TONE
The tone is admiring and celebratory. The speaker praises the beloved's beauty and the power of poetry to transcend time.