Sonnet12

WhenIdocounttheclockthattellsthetime, WhenIseethetimethathaspassed Andseethebravedaysunkinhideousnight Andseethedayturntonight WhenIbeholdthevioletpastprime, WhenIseethevioletpastitsprimeage Andsablecurls,allsilveredoerwithwhite Andbrownhairturnedwhite WhenloftytreesIseebarrenofleave, Whentreeslosetheirleaves Whicherstfromheatdidcanopytheherd, Whichbeforeshadedtheherds Andsummersgreenallgirdedupinsheaves, Andtheharvestisbundledup Borneonthebierwithwhiteandbristlybeard, Takenawayonacart ThenofthybeautydoIquestionmake, ThenIwillquestionyourbeauty Thatthouamongthewastesoftimemustgo, Thatyouwillgotothelandofthedead Sincesweetsandbeautiesdothemselvesforsake Sinceallsweetsandbeautiesspoil Anddieasfastastheyseeothersgrow Anddieassoonasothersareborn AndnothinggainstTimesscythecanmakedefence NothingcandefendagainstDeath Savebreed,tobravehimwhenhetakestheehence. ExcepttohaveposteritychallengeDeath ConsonanceTheuseofconsonancevariesfromlinetoline.Intheeighthline,thesharpuseof consonancehelpssupportthedeathlyimageryofamanbeingborneawayonacart.Thesharpness helpssupporttheideaofdeathasitssosudden.Thesmoothconsonanceofthesecondand11thlines helpsupportthethoughtofthepassingoftime,paintinganimageoftranquilsmoothness. AssonanceTheuseofeuphonicassonancepaintsapictureofaverypleasantalbeitbarrentree,with smoothlimbsthatarearesultofTimewearingonitslimbs,anotherresult*findanotherwordorreword this*oftheagingofTime. AllusionTheimagetoTimesscythealludestotheimageoftheGrimReaper,showingthatTimeisin factDeath,andthatTimewilltakeeverything. MetaphorThedifferentimagesofsablecurls,violets,andbarrentreesaresymbolicforthedifferent stagesoflife:thevioletisahumanpasttheprimetimeofitslife,thesablecurlsturningwhiteis indicativeofhowahumanshairturnswhitewithage,andthebarrentreesisanimagesymbolicofa deadpersonbeingsentawaynakedtotheburialtomb.Themetaphorofthesummersgreenevokesthe imageofanoldmanbeingcartedawayonabier,assupportedwiththephrasewhiteandbristly beard.Themetaphorofwastesoftimereferstothefeelingthatthepoetwillhaveoncehisbelovedis goneemptyandlonely,likeawasteland.Inaddition,itrepresentshisbitternessnowthathisbeloved hasdesertedhim,muchlikeforsakenareaofadesert. PersonificationThepersonificationoftheclockthattellsthetimegivesthefirstglimpsethatTime mightactuallybealive,operatingeverythinglikeapuppeteerpullingthestringsoflife,whilethe personificationofbravedayandhideousnighthelpemphasizetheyouthful,happyqualitiesofday, ortheprime,againstthesad,oldqualitiesofnight. ImageryThisverynaturelikeimagerypaintsasereneandagedpicture,supportingtheidea thattimeeffectsallthings.

Yee Sonnet12Analysis InSonnet12,byWilliamShakespeare,ShakespearewritesthatTimewillcauseeverythingto ageandallbeautytofade:Throughwriting,thepoetprovesthatonlyposteritywillavoiddeath. Shakespeareprovesthisthroughvividimagery,richmetaphors,andliterarydevicessuchaspoetic dictionandfullconsonance.Vividimageryispresentinseveraldifferentlines,butitismostnotablein thelinesthreethroughfive:WhenIbeholdthevioletpastprime,/Andsablecurls,allsilveredoerwith white:/WhenloftytreesIseebarrenofleaves.Thisverynaturalandvividimagerypresentstheidea thatTimenotonlyaffectshumans,butalsothingssuchasplantsandhair.Theimagesarealsosymbolic ofdifferentphasesofthehumanlifespan:thevioletisahumanpassingtheprimetimeofitslife,sable curlsarethestageswhenthehumanshairbeginstoturnwhite,andthebarrentreeisametaphorforthe barrenbodyofahumanasitborneonthebier,beingsentawaytobeburied.ThelinesAnd summersgreenallgirdedupinsheaves,/Borneonthebierwithwhiteandbristlybeardevokethe imageofthesummersgreensbeingcartedaway,butithasanevendeepermeaning.Theimageis actuallysymbolicofanoldmanbeingcartedawayafterhisdeath,hencethewhiteandbristlybeard, depictingoneofthefinalstagesoflifebeingsentawaytobeburied,relatingtotheimageofbarren trees.TheuseofthefullconsonanceinthelineBorneonthebierwithwhiteandbristlybeardhelps createanimagethat,likeacircle,isveryfullandconnectedtoitself.Thesoundlullsthelistenerintothis verylighttrance,muchliketheeternalsleepthatTimelullsitsvictimsinto.Theseallshowthatnothing canescapeTimesgrasp,whetherinthehumanorplantform.Ifitlives,itshalldie. However,ifithasoncebeenalive,thenitcanalsoberemembered.Thisisthesecondpointthat Shakespeareistryingtogetacrossitisexpressedinthelastcoupletofhiswriting:Andnothinggainst Timesscythecanmakedefence/Savebreed,tobravehimwhenhetakestheehence.Thelastline meansthattherereallyisawaytoescapefromTimesgrip,andthatistohaveposterityremember oneself.Thepoeticdictionuseddefence,save,andbravehasShakespearemaketheactof remembrancealmostanoble,honorable,act,suggestingthathewouldlikehimselftoberemembered andevenreveledwhenheisjustthatamemory.