Zain Salman

White

AP Lit

27 Apr 2022

Sonnet 18 Practice Exam

In Sonnet 18: shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? by William Shakespeare, the speaker

creates a pre-shift and post-shift with the use of imagery and tone. During the beginning of the

poem, the speaker writes, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,/ And summer’s lease

hath all too short a date; Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,” and imagery is utilized to

create a calming but also disturbing tone. When the speaker says, “rough winds do shake the

darling buds of May,” there is a soft or calming effect created because the word “darling” can be

used to refer to something that is innocent, but there is a contrast, the buds are being exposed to

“rough winds,” which may be disturbing the “buds of May.” In the phrase, “And summer’s lease

hath all too short a date;” the speaker says that someone has gone through difficult times, but

they are only getting a quick, short break in the “summer’s lease.” As a result, the imagery of the

“rough winds” disturbing the innocent “buds of May,” and there is little time to take a break

from the stresses from the “rough winds,” during the summer. While the speaker sets up a

difficult lifestyle that someone has to face, the speaker talks about the positives of the

environment that they are in. The speaker says, “Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;/ Nor

shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade.” There is a feeling of encouragement that is

revealed because the speaker encourages people to never “lose possession of that fair thou

ow’st,” because the speaker talks about people who face struggles and cannot seem to catch a
break when they were talking about the rough winds and the buds of May, but the speaker also

wanted the people to persevere and continue to fight through the struggle. At the same time, the

speaker wants people to keep a state of calm and collectiveness to not lose sight of their main

purpose or goals. By keeping the state of mind described by the speaker, “Nor shall death brag

thou wander’st in his shade,” it can make life more meaningful and worthwhile, because death

does not consider if someone has a meaningful life or not, and it can take away a person’s life at

any moment. Based on the usage of the figurative language and its usage throughout the pre-shift

and the post-shift of the poem, one of the main ideas to take away from the poem is that people

should carry a collected attitude when facing the struggles of life, and continuing that collected

state of mind benefits people by rewarding them with a more meaningful life, where they may be

sure that they are aware of doing the right thing.