A huge variety in the sonnet is found in English literature as it has been developed by so many great sonneteers like Thomas Wyatt, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey and finally the great William Shakespeare.
Because of the huge influence and a great number of sonnets, a different category of sonnets is generated which is called the Shakespearean Sonnet. Because of the Queen Elizabeth one, it is also called the Elizabethan sonnet. These sonnets are famous for the structure which is divided into 4 parts, unlike the common Italian sonnets with two sections. The Shakespearean sonnets have three quatrains with a concluding rhyming couplet and the overall rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efef and gg. In his lifetime, he has written 154 sonnets, of which the first 126 sonnets express the love for a young man and from 127 to 154 are written for the 'dark lady'. A Lover’s Complaint is the concluding part of his sonnet sequence which is same in tone but in the voice of a female. So, in this article we’ll look at few of his greatest sonnets in detail –
From Fairest Creatures We Desire Increase (sonnet 1)
This sonnet is clearly addressed to his gorgeous male friend where he tries to convey the details as if he is talking about a woman. He conveys that like women, men also enjoy being flattered and they have the same concern for adulthood and death. In this sonnet, he also portrays his love as the ‘fairest’ and the most ‘ornamental’ person present on the earth and humanity will suffer if he doesn’t have any ‘heir’.
My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun (sonnet 130)
This sonnet clearly contradicts the medieval description of the physical beauty of a woman. We don’t see the similar descriptions as Petrarchan sonnets express. Here Shakespeare focuses on what his mistress is not. He clearly states that although she looks ugly, she has an inner beauty and that’s the reason behind his love for her.
Let Me Not to the Marriage of True Mind (sonnet 116)
This sonnet is again for his fair youth where he describes true love and a strong bonding that can become a model for love marriage. He also expressed that a marriage can be successful, only if it’s the love of true minds with honesty and authenticity.
Lastly, we want to end the discussion with few lines where he praised his young friend but we can use these lines to praise him as well –
“So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
