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Brey Brisbane WR 13300-04 Professor Milberger 8 February 2013 Final Draft Timeless Love and Timeless Rhetoric Sonnet

76 by William Shakespeare is a beautiful sonnet that comments on Shakespeares struggle to find new words to describe an old love. This old love is so strong that he feels the need to push himself to find new refreshing words to explain it, but in the end he realizes that some love is timeless. Not everything new is good, and not everything good is new. This sonnet speaks to the power of consistency in a loving relationship, and in life. In life we are often always looking for the next best thing, while we let the things that have always been good to us fall by the wayside. Shakespeare puts this thinking to the test in this sonnet with his deft usage of word choice and structure. Shakespeare sets the theme that will reoccur throughout the rest of the sonnet. In the first line: Why is my verse so barren of new pride, Shakespeare is asks himself why his recent writings have failed to capture anything new he can be proud of in his life. His choice of the word barren speaks to how obvious it is that his latest writing has lacked new material. Shakespeares word choice is an example of his ability to use ethos. Shakespeares rhetorical skills will continue to reveal themselves throughout the sonnet. From this readers can see how bleak his current state of creativity is through Shakespeares word usage. Then in line 2 he finishes

the question by adding so far from variation or quick change. Here Shakespeare speaks about the lack of variety in his latest writing. Everything is very consistent with little variation and it seems Shakespeare feels there is nothing new to write. He thinks the intensity of his love must be waning. By allowing the reader into the mind of Shakespeare, he is able to get the reader to emotionally invest into his situation. This emotional investment is an example of pathos. As I read, I thought about how what Shakespeare thought connected with what I thought. This is an example of ethos and pathos in impressive synchronization, which makes for an enjoyable reading for the reader. Shakespeare continues to question his steadfastness as the poem continues. He asks Why with the time do I not glance aside to new-found methods, and to compounds strange? Here Shakespeare talks about his inability to see other ways of approaching his writing. It seems as though Shakespeare has tunnel vision when it comes to his creative expression. It seems he can only focus on one thing, and this one thing is his true love. He is so in love that he cannot even begin to think about writing about anything else. His love has encapsulated his entire being, and this is apparent as you read the sonnet. What makes it so apparent is Shakespeares usage of ethos. Shakespeare continually makes mention that he cannot rid himself of this creative slump. By continually stating that he cannot make any progress it lets the reader in on the severity of his problem, and allows them to wonder what it could be that prevents such a great writer from exploring new topics to write about. In the following lines Shakespeare begins to come to grips with the reason for his fixation of writing about his love. He writes, Every word doth almost tell my

name. Shakespeare is saying that his lover and him are forever intertwined, and together they complete each other. With every word that he writes he is reinforcing the point that he is madly in love. Without even knowing it Shakespeares feelings for his lover have transcended into his writings. The typical eighth line volta appears in this sonnet, which speaks to Shakespeares use of ethos once again. Shakespeare uses the traditional volta to make it apparent to the reader that there is about to be a shift in his thinking. He writes, Showing their birth, and where they did proceed? Here Shakespeare is saying that the origin of his love can be found in his writings. The use of the word birth refers to the beginnings of the love that has infected Shakespeare. In the lines to come Shakespeare outwardly expresses his unrelenting love. The first line after the volta is a definite change in the way Shakespeare approaches the sonnet. It is here that Shakespeare begins to change the way he uses ethos. Shakespeare says, O know sweet love I always write of you, And you and love are still my argument. Here Shakespeare explains that the woman he loves and the love he has for her are the only things worth writing about. This is his argument. Now Shakespeare begins to use more obvious phrases of expression, such as sweet love. Again Shakespeare is letting the reader in on the inner workings of his mind, and here you can see a definite shift in his use of ethos. Shakespeare uses ethos to generate pathos. He uses words such as sweet and love to show a shift in his thinking, which then forces the reader to recognize this shift and see where Shakespeare is coming from. Shakespeares now realizes his love has crippled his ability to write about themes other than his love. He goes on to say So all my best is

dressing old words new, spending again what is already spent. Again Shakespeare is talking about not needing new material, because his best work is good enough to sustain him. He does not need anything new because everything he has is everything he wants. Shakespeare concludes the sonnet with the couplet For as the sun is daily new and old/so is my love still telling what is told. Shakespeare skillfully uses his love to express a universal theme. The theme Shakespeare tries to convey is to not to take things for granted. The sun rises and sets everyday, its beauty is constant, and everyday it continues to bring us warmth. However, just because the sun is consistent does not mean it should not be cherished and loved. Shakespeare is known for his universal themes, and Sonnet 76 is a grand example of this. At times love is all you need, and once you have it, there is no more searching for more. In the end Shakespeare realizes that his love is strong and that is why he finds no need to write about anything else. Anyone who has been in a serious relationship can relate to this sonnet, because it really speaks to the power of a genuine bond. As humans we all are searching for the kind of love Shakespeare has found, and expressed through this sonnet, and that is what makes it so relatable.

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