Analysis of Sonnet 98 by Celeste Chavez

In Sonnet 98, the poets words are susceptible to devastating Absence : The poem flows

pleasantly. William Shakespeares use of soft and simple diction portray the feelings the persona

has towards the person he or she is depressed over. A delicate yet melancholy tone is revealed

through the poets words.The repetition of the sound p in the eighth line- proud, lap, and

pluck, mimics a pleasant yet discretely uncomfortable sensation on your tongue. These words

create a sense of vulnerability, which comes from the poet writing about this special person from

the personas point of view. Shakespeares use of paradoxical imagery intensifies the severity of

his depression. In the fourth line, That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him., the poet

suggests a sense of contradiction. Since Shakespeare matches heavy Saturn with the actions of

laughing and leaping, it is suggested that even the most dark and downcast spirits are happier

than he is. The poets use of delightful imagery furthermore emphasizes the personas longing

for his beloved. In the fifth line, Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell, Shakespeare

describes some beautiful things. The poet is quick to reject all of this beauty, and he reveals that

none of this has filled him with the same joy as his beloved did, conveying the desperation he is

passionately feeling. Ultimately, this unknown persona will keep having a void, without his or

her beloved. Their separation will grow, as so the nature around them. Even though both nature

and the lovers will age, the poets words will continue to thrive. The poets words will stay

youthful, for his desperation connects with all humanity.