Shakespeare: Sonnet 1

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the first of Shakespeare's sonnets. It explains the technical aspects of the sonnet and also its major themes and concepts. The first part paper focuses on explaining the sonnet in order to make it more readily understandable. It shows how Shakespeare crafted the idea that it is a tragedy if the beauty of the world is not perpetuated through reproduction. The second part of the paper follows-on from the first part and offers an in-depth analysis of the sonnet. It looks closely at the tone of the sonnet, cultural influences and the concept of profusion.

From the Paper:

"Indeed, there are a multitude of other Biblical and cultural references in sonnet 1 that are very important in allowing us to understand the poem effectively. In the second-from-last line, we see a reference to gluttony one of the seven deadly sins. There is also an allusion to Isaiah [32.5]. In Shakespeare's medieval culture, the rose of beauty was an often-quoted symbol. Similarly, the central concept of the sonnet (i.e. the dynastic obligation to produce heirs) was heavily rooted in medieval culture. Shakespeare so immerses us, the reader, in such cultural references that one wonders whether he is really intending to make a political point in this sonnet rather than just generally musing over a young man's inability to procreate."

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