Petrarch's Love

Shakespeare examines love in two different ways in Sonnets 116 and 130. In the first, love is treated in its most ideal form as an uncompromising force (indeed, as the greatest force in the universe); in the latter sonnet, Shakespeare treats love from a more practical aspect: it is viewed simply and realistically without ornament. Yet both sonnets are justifiable in and of themselves, for neither misrepresents love or speaks of it slightingly. Indeed, Shakespeare illustrates two qualities of love in the two sonnets: its potential and its objectivity. This paper will compare and contrast the two sonnets by Shakespeare and show how they represent two different attitudes to love.

Although the major early modern writers scorned the Petrarchan poetic construct, in this work Shakespeare utilizes it to tell a story about more than just tragic and miserable love. He illustrates that this construction of love, is not actually love and in fact can be easily exploited. It is Shakespeare’s critique of Petrarchanism, that also allowed him to demonstrate other issues of current

“Sonnet 116” written by William Shakespeare is focusing on the strength and true power of love. Love is a feeling that sustainable to alterations, that take place at certain points in life, and love is even stronger than a breakup because separation cannot eliminate feelings. The writer makes use of metaphors expressing love as a feeling of mind not just heart as young readers may see it. To Shakespeare love is an immortal felling that is similar to a mark on a person’s life.

Within sonnet 116, Shakespeare personifies the abstract noun of love when he states ‘Whose worth’s unknown’. Through personifying his ideology of true love, it makes it increasingly

     During the Renaissance, it was common for poets to employ Petrarchan conceit to praise their lovers. Applying this type of metaphor, an author makes elaborate comparisons of his beloved to one or more very dissimilar things. Such hyperbole was often used to idolize a mistress while lamenting her cruelty. Shakespeare, in Sonnet 18, conforms somewhat to this custom of love poetry, but later breaks out of the mold entirely, writing his clearly anti-Petrarchan work, Sonnet 130.

In many cases, love is misrepresented and not shown in its reality. According to The Human Experience, by Richard Abcarian, Marvin Klotz, and Samuel Cohen, “The rosy conception of love presented in many popular and sentimental stories does not prepare us for the complicated reality we face” (859). Thus in many stories and poems, love is not truly portrayed for what it really is. However, in “Sonnet 130,” Shakespeare does the opposite of this. The speaker states, “I have seen roses damasked, red and white / But no such roses see I in her cheeks” (5-6). In most love poems, the speaker would be stating that his lover’s cheeks are as red as roses. Despite this, Shakespeare is basically poking fun at those poems due to the fact that it is not normal for a woman to have bright red cheeks. Another example of this can be shown when the speaker

In the poems ‘Let Me Describe for You Her Eyes’ by Glenn Colquhoun, and ‘Sonnet XVIII’ by William Shakespeare, both writers’ describe their experiences and ideas of love in two very contrasting ways, which can reflect on the world around us, and helped me learn about the how different relationships can affect people, and the world around them. Though their ideas may differ, both writers used similar techniques, such as the use of an extended metaphor. Similarly, both writers tone and structure supported their own ideas of what was like for them in the relationship of which they are writing, and helps the readers, as well as myself, to understand the message which their poems portray. Both, have very contrasting ideas when it comes to love,

Born in Italy during the early days of the European Renaissance, Francesco Petrarch gained immortalizing fame by perfecting the sonnet poetry form. In expression of his love for a woman by the name of Laura, Petrarch abandoned his priestly vocation and wrote a collection of over 300 poems which would eventually be compiled into Rerum Vulgarium Fragmenta. This compilation includes “Sonnet XVII,” translated by MacGregor, in which Petrarch expresses his emotions by drawing the comparison between himself to a moth. Written in 2010, “Love the Way You Lie Part II” by Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem, details his own experience in being emotionally victimized by the constantly fluctuating state of his relationship with Kim Mathers. Eminem

lthough we consider William Shakespeare to be one of the greatest writers in history, much of his writing styles were modeled after those of Francesco Petrarch, commonly called Petrarca. Petrarch was an Italian scholar and poet in Renaissance Italy who created the idea of idealized love as well as love at first sight. This philosophy of love is referred to as Petrarchan love.The concept of Petrarchan love was created as a result of a woman named Laura who unfortunately did not return Petrarch affections.Shakespeare included the idea of Petrarchan love in most of his writings.In fact, one of his most famous plays Romeo and Juliet is based on the idea of Petrarchan love. He modeled his writing after those of Francesco Petrarca by copying his use of one-sided love, idolization, love at first sight, and the use of many literary devices.

In the hands of a master such as Shakespeare, the conventions of the sonnet form are manipulated and transformed into something unique and originally emphasized. Both sonnets in one way or another subvert the conventions of the base Petrarchan sonnet; though they are about love, the traditional topic of sonnets, whilst in Sonnet 20 the object of desire is unattainable and there is no evidence of the level of affection being requited, the target is male, and the target of the poet's affections in Sonnet 130 is the poetic voice's current mistress. It also seems important to note that love in neither of these cases is of the generic youthful female Aryan stereotype, and

Ultimately, Shakespeare expresses his own feelings and opinions through the sonnet. His usage of language techniques helps him do so. Love is shown to be not only a quality, but it is personified as a perfect, unchanging thing, unaffected by time. Shakespeare has really proved himself to be a prolific writer and extraordinarily capable poet as result of this

The title of the poem “My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun” suggests that the speaker is not in love with his ‘mistress’. However, this is not the case. Shakespeare uses figurative language by using criticizing hyperboles to mock the traditional love sonnet. Thus, showing not only that the ideal woman is not always a ‘goddess’, but mocking the way others write about love. Shakespeare proves that love can be written about and accomplished without the artificial and exuberant. The speaker’s tone is ironic, sarcastic, and comical turning the traditional conceit around using satire. The traditional iambic pentameter rhyming scheme of the sonnet makes the diction fall into place as relaxed, truthful, and with elegance in the easy flowing verse. In turn, making this sonnet one of parody and real love.

In his poem, “But love whilst that thou mayst be loved again”, he focuses on warning women to find love soon because beauty will not last with age. He compares a woman’s beauty to a flower: “the fairest flower that ever saw the light / men do not weigh the stalk for what it was / when they find her flower, her glory, pass” (Daniel 6, 13-14). Through this metaphor, he shows how men view beauty in love. No one looks at a dead flower and thinks about what it used to be, rather, he or she looks towards other flowers that bloom with life and colour. This sonnet begins as an admiration for his subject’s beauty, but it ends by telling the subject that when her physical beauty deteriorates, no one will love her. This poem reflects society’s fixation on superficial beauty because it reminds women that they will never find love without external beauty, as a result of the superficiality of men in society. Both poems of the Renaissance Period assert the idea of perfection and the importance of physical beauty in love and relationships.

He accepts her essentially, because of her mediocracy. At times, he is outraged by her additional lovers, but he still is wrapped around her finger. He blames himself for staying with her even though the relationship is toxic and copes with her infidelity. Shakespeare turns the traditional feeling of a love sonnet to that of hatred, resentment, and lust. It seems more in line with the reality and harshness of falling in love, as opposed to the traditional googly-eyed admiration of a lover. Since Shakespeare avoids this fictional theme, he gives readers a good reason to believe his Sonnets may actually be true.

Shakespeare, who wrote the sonnets in 1609, expresses his own feelings through his greatest work of literature. The theme of love in the poems reflect thoughts from the Renaissance period. Love is one of many components of Shakespeare’s life shown in the sonnets. Love can be defined in many ways other than a strong affection for a lover. In Shakespeare’s sonnets, the concept of love can be seen through many uncommon means such as the love of life before death in “Sonnet 73,” love in marriage in “Sonnet 116,” love through sexual desire in “Sonnet 129,” and love through nature in “Sonnet 130,” proving that love can be expressed through many different feelings and emotions.