Expressions through poetry: Shakespeare
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miarose
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Expressions through poetry: Shakespeare
Expression through poetry: Shakespeare
Poetry is one of those things people normally either hate or love. But just think about reading a poem. Have you ever thought about how that poem made you feel? When you read a poem what are you thinking about? How do you understand what the poet is thinking and trying to get you to understand? In comparing and contrasting poems, it is possible to look deeper than normal into all the different aspects or elements included in a poem; it helps give an interpretation of the poems while seeing the similarities and differences. Although in Shakespeare’s “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” the effects of symbol, meter, and alliteration are similar; the effects of imagery, synecdoche, and rhyme are different.
First, there is symbol found in “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” and although the symbols are there, they have different effects on the poem. They can give different feelings or emotions or tones to the poem, happy, sad, or dramatic, and they can stand for something that gives the poem a different meaning, or have it suddenly unravel for you and make sense. In the first poem, “All the World’s a Stage,” the repetitive symbol is a stage or a play. It can make you connect or relate to a play or story like this. “All the World’s a Stage, and all the men and women merely players” (1-2). It stands for real life being like a play, with scenes, acts, and different characters. “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” has the symbol in the title, as well as throughout the poem. At the end of all of the lines it has words that represent a summer day as well as constantly comparing and contrasting a summer day to a woman. In the first two lines it says, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” There Shakespeare is talking about his love. This point that being made is how much more beautiful the lady is than a summer day, and for many that is a sweet feeling like “Aww.” It is good and it isn’t the same type of feeling that you would get while simply watching a play and the story it goes through; although the characters may do things to give you the same feeling, it is different. As you can see, although there is symbol in both poems, they both have different symbols that give different effects and feelings to the poems overall.
Second, there is meter found in the poems, but gives a different feeling. Giving a poem meter can give it different feelings just like any other thing in a poem; meter though, is often times more noticeable. It can turn it into a chant, a dream, or monotone. In both poems there is iambic pentameter, although in “All the World’s a Stage” it makes it seem like a good thing, but almost drone: “And one man in his time plays many parts” (line 4). It doesn’t seem sad, but it just keeps going on and continuing; in the second poem it is more happy, dreamy, and lovely. “But thy eternal Summer shall not fade” (9). Shakespeare shows two different sides of himself in these two poems. One of the ways you can see this is through the meter.
The next difference is alliteration; this is when one consonant sound is repeated. In “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” there are reoccurring “s” sounds. For example, in “All the World’s a Stage” line 5 says, “His acts being seven ages. At first the infant.” As you can see there is the same sound being repeated many times in the one line. This “s” sound gives sort of the same feeling as the other elements; it feels like a story through life, and it keeps going. This often has the monotone, boring, or simply continuing on and on effect. Sometimes it is appropriate and it captures the mood but other times it is not a good thing. In the second poem it has the same reoccurring sound, although it gives a different feel. In line 14 it says, “So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” Even though there is the same sound being repeated it makes it feel almost like a soft breeze, like in a summer day. Therefore you can see that even though they have the similar sounds, they give a totally different feeling.
However, imagery is a similarity; it is any sensory feeling that you can find in different types of art. The imagery in both of the poems has a negative feeling. Like in “All the World's a Stage” there is the image of “the whining school-boy” (7), which brings about a negative feeling. Also in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” Shakespeare says “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” (3) and that gives the feeling of rough times and things being stirred up a little bit. The imagery in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” and “All the World’s a Stage” is kind of negative but it helps put some feeling into both of the poems.
Synecdoche is another similarity between the two poems. The synecdoche in these poems has a feel of a sad kind of romance. In “Stage” the synecdoche is from the lover “to his mistress’ eyebrow” (11). Obviously he is not addressing his mistress’ eyebrow, but is using a figure of speech for her whole self. In “Day” the synecdoche is “shake the darling buds of May” (3) and Shakespeare is not just talking about the darling buds but all of the trees themselves. The synecdoche in those both poems has a sad feel. Since the poet is talking about each of the lovers it gives this idea of love and romance and yet the way it is stated gives a sad tone to it. Therefore you can see that the synecdoche gives a sad romantic effect into each of the poems.
Finally the rhythm, normally either found in meter or free verse; in this case, both “Stage” and “Day” have meter that give a similar feeling or effect. The rhythm is very orderly and has a feeling of control in each of the poems. It makes the poems both feel more structured the way he uses the meter, iambic pentameter. In “All the World’s a Stage” the meter can be found through the whole poem, for example, “And one man in his time plays many parts” (4). The rhythm, just like in the first poem, can be found throughout the whole poem, in line 9 “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” says, “But thy eternal Summer shall not fade.” Meter is often identified through scanning the stressed and unstressed syllables. In this case the stressed syllables are highlighted. The rhythm of the poems makes them flow better, not sound short and choppy, and the iambic pentameter is a similar sound that both of them have.
In conclusion, there are differences and similarities in Shakespeare’s poems “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day.” There are different symbols in each of the poems, in the first the symbol is a play or stage with different acts and characters; in the second it talks about the woman he loves and how much more beautiful she is than a summer day. Meter, while in both poems, gives a slow ongoing feeling in the first, and in the other one it makes the poem sound dreamy and happy. Alliteration makes, “All the World’s a Stage” seem like a story, and that it keeps going, while in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” it sounds like a gentle wind or breeze as you feel during a summer day. Next, imagery is a similarity that gives each of the poems a negative feel. Synecdoche, another similarity, has a sad feel with the lover addressing the lady or all of the flowers of summer. Finally, meter gives a organized, in control feeling, both are in iambic pentameter and give the same rhythm. As you can see, no matter whether you hate or love poetry, everyone feels things and poetry is a good way for many to express exactly what they are feeling.
Poetry is one of those things people normally either hate or love. But just think about reading a poem. Have you ever thought about how that poem made you feel? When you read a poem what are you thinking about? How do you understand what the poet is thinking and trying to get you to understand? In comparing and contrasting poems, it is possible to look deeper than normal into all the different aspects or elements included in a poem; it helps give an interpretation of the poems while seeing the similarities and differences. Although in Shakespeare’s “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” the effects of symbol, meter, and alliteration are similar; the effects of imagery, synecdoche, and rhyme are different.
First, there is symbol found in “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” and although the symbols are there, they have different effects on the poem. They can give different feelings or emotions or tones to the poem, happy, sad, or dramatic, and they can stand for something that gives the poem a different meaning, or have it suddenly unravel for you and make sense. In the first poem, “All the World’s a Stage,” the repetitive symbol is a stage or a play. It can make you connect or relate to a play or story like this. “All the World’s a Stage, and all the men and women merely players” (1-2). It stands for real life being like a play, with scenes, acts, and different characters. “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” has the symbol in the title, as well as throughout the poem. At the end of all of the lines it has words that represent a summer day as well as constantly comparing and contrasting a summer day to a woman. In the first two lines it says, “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” There Shakespeare is talking about his love. This point that being made is how much more beautiful the lady is than a summer day, and for many that is a sweet feeling like “Aww.” It is good and it isn’t the same type of feeling that you would get while simply watching a play and the story it goes through; although the characters may do things to give you the same feeling, it is different. As you can see, although there is symbol in both poems, they both have different symbols that give different effects and feelings to the poems overall.
Second, there is meter found in the poems, but gives a different feeling. Giving a poem meter can give it different feelings just like any other thing in a poem; meter though, is often times more noticeable. It can turn it into a chant, a dream, or monotone. In both poems there is iambic pentameter, although in “All the World’s a Stage” it makes it seem like a good thing, but almost drone: “And one man in his time plays many parts” (line 4). It doesn’t seem sad, but it just keeps going on and continuing; in the second poem it is more happy, dreamy, and lovely. “But thy eternal Summer shall not fade” (9). Shakespeare shows two different sides of himself in these two poems. One of the ways you can see this is through the meter.
The next difference is alliteration; this is when one consonant sound is repeated. In “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” there are reoccurring “s” sounds. For example, in “All the World’s a Stage” line 5 says, “His acts being seven ages. At first the infant.” As you can see there is the same sound being repeated many times in the one line. This “s” sound gives sort of the same feeling as the other elements; it feels like a story through life, and it keeps going. This often has the monotone, boring, or simply continuing on and on effect. Sometimes it is appropriate and it captures the mood but other times it is not a good thing. In the second poem it has the same reoccurring sound, although it gives a different feel. In line 14 it says, “So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” Even though there is the same sound being repeated it makes it feel almost like a soft breeze, like in a summer day. Therefore you can see that even though they have the similar sounds, they give a totally different feeling.
However, imagery is a similarity; it is any sensory feeling that you can find in different types of art. The imagery in both of the poems has a negative feeling. Like in “All the World's a Stage” there is the image of “the whining school-boy” (7), which brings about a negative feeling. Also in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” Shakespeare says “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May” (3) and that gives the feeling of rough times and things being stirred up a little bit. The imagery in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” and “All the World’s a Stage” is kind of negative but it helps put some feeling into both of the poems.
Synecdoche is another similarity between the two poems. The synecdoche in these poems has a feel of a sad kind of romance. In “Stage” the synecdoche is from the lover “to his mistress’ eyebrow” (11). Obviously he is not addressing his mistress’ eyebrow, but is using a figure of speech for her whole self. In “Day” the synecdoche is “shake the darling buds of May” (3) and Shakespeare is not just talking about the darling buds but all of the trees themselves. The synecdoche in those both poems has a sad feel. Since the poet is talking about each of the lovers it gives this idea of love and romance and yet the way it is stated gives a sad tone to it. Therefore you can see that the synecdoche gives a sad romantic effect into each of the poems.
Finally the rhythm, normally either found in meter or free verse; in this case, both “Stage” and “Day” have meter that give a similar feeling or effect. The rhythm is very orderly and has a feeling of control in each of the poems. It makes the poems both feel more structured the way he uses the meter, iambic pentameter. In “All the World’s a Stage” the meter can be found through the whole poem, for example, “And one man in his time plays many parts” (4). The rhythm, just like in the first poem, can be found throughout the whole poem, in line 9 “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” says, “But thy eternal Summer shall not fade.” Meter is often identified through scanning the stressed and unstressed syllables. In this case the stressed syllables are highlighted. The rhythm of the poems makes them flow better, not sound short and choppy, and the iambic pentameter is a similar sound that both of them have.
In conclusion, there are differences and similarities in Shakespeare’s poems “All the World’s a Stage” and “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day.” There are different symbols in each of the poems, in the first the symbol is a play or stage with different acts and characters; in the second it talks about the woman he loves and how much more beautiful she is than a summer day. Meter, while in both poems, gives a slow ongoing feeling in the first, and in the other one it makes the poem sound dreamy and happy. Alliteration makes, “All the World’s a Stage” seem like a story, and that it keeps going, while in “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” it sounds like a gentle wind or breeze as you feel during a summer day. Next, imagery is a similarity that gives each of the poems a negative feel. Synecdoche, another similarity, has a sad feel with the lover addressing the lady or all of the flowers of summer. Finally, meter gives a organized, in control feeling, both are in iambic pentameter and give the same rhythm. As you can see, no matter whether you hate or love poetry, everyone feels things and poetry is a good way for many to express exactly what they are feeling.
