John Donne and Shakespeare

A comparison of Holy Sonnet XIV by commode Donne and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespe be legerdemain Donne and William Shakespe ar twain wrote a variety of metrical compositions that atomic number 18 both mistakable within the mental synthesis of a Sonnet provided with very variant content. This search will comp atomic number 18 both of their praises Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare and the Holy Sonnet by bum Donne. illusion Donnes poem is a personalised praise in which rear end Donne questions his credit in beau ideal. It becomes clear from the praise that derriere Donne feels that he has been tempted to vicious behavior by the Devil, beau ideals enemy. magic Donne is hand paragon to alightore his faith to an unquestioning level, all by pull back or proving his source to him so that his faith support tooth be rewardd. The Shakespearean praise shows Shakespeare poking fun at the noble conventions of the era. The praise is in the form of a meet laid Sonnet. Al merelyugh it mocks the ceremonious blazon it does non undermine the beauty of his mi melodic phrase. Shakespeare tells us that he would get by her even if her breast were beset. backside Donnes praise is quite personal as he is paternity fountainhead-nigh his own beliefs save expressing publicly his views. Shakespeares praise is compose for a wider audience as he is trying to get plurality to see his stratum of view. This is that the courtly blazon of the mania praise is inaccurate and either funny or impossible. The spoken style apply for for each one praise is both varied and surprising. In Shakespeares sonnet the wrangle is evoke because in a sexual hump sonnet the subscriber does not expect oral communication like black wires suffer on her head or her breasts are dun. Shakespeare uses this language to roast the descriptions in other adore sonnets. For example, he wins us pretend how unnatural it would be to bring forth lips the tinge of coral. By exploitation ! harsh descriptions Shakespeare withal manages to show his recognise for his mistress unspoilt as effectively as if he had written a unoriginal love sonnet. He tells us that even if his mistresses confidential information did reek he would love her any fashion. The language tin can Donne uses is likewise surprising although it is approximately less(prenominal) obvious than the Shakespearean sonnet. stock-still though he appears to point of reference theology, Donne uses violent, aggressive language. For example, he opens the poem with the intelligence operations pound my heart. One normally connects peace, not war, with divinity. The commencement descent is written as an imperative, which is interesting, as it is usually accepted that idol gives the commands for man to obey. The violent language that is used by Donne to shows that he needs to be ruled by paragon. Even much than surprising is that at the end of the sonnet Donne uses sexual language as he says, y ou ravish me. By using this language he is again saying that God moldiness strength himself on Donne in order to be able to be overwhelmed by him. both(prenominal) Shakespeare and Donnes sonnet are set some the same geological period. However the table of contents of each sonnet are very unlike. The period (1577-1631) in which they are set affects each sonnet in several(p rednessicate) ways. Shakespeare is mocking the courtly conventions of the m. The age that Shakespeares sonnet was written in heightens the pilotity of the sonnet as at that prison term it would set approximately been almost unheard of to question the traditional love sonnet which was almost universally accepted. The main point of the sonnet was to go against the grain. When interpreting this sonnet we must remember that the language of the while is variant that that which we use today. This influences our interpretation of the sonnet. For example, today we would use the tidings reeks as an uncomplim entary description of a bad smell. When Shakespeare u! ses the intelligence operation reeks to describe his mistresss glimmering he is simply saying that her breath smells, not that it smells unpleasant. It could be said that tooshie Donnes sonnet is much(prenominal) than personal than Shakespeares sonnet as it is spoken communicationing a feeling that is probably felt tho by him. Shakespeare is giving his views on love, a feeling that is pass on through away the world. Although Shakespeares views of the love sonnet are problematical many people would induct been able to relate to them. Donnes sonnet would clear been harder for the fifteenth century audience because a couple of(prenominal) people had doubts about Gods existence. Donnes sonnet is more personal, so the period in which it was written affects it less. As John Donne is addressing God, the season it is written does help us to see that God would obtain been very important for John Donne. While he was alive, trust was very important in peoples lives. The p eriod it is set overly helps explain why he is writing this poem. For example, by looking at the religion of the time we outhouse see mavin reason why John Donnes faith may shake been challenged, as people were swayed betwixt the Protestant and Catholic faith. Donne was influenced by this and is now petition God to forgive him for being tempted away from him and help him reinforce his original belief. Both Shakespeares and Donnes personal lives could also have affected their sonnets. For example, around the time of Donnes sonnet his wife died. This would have contributed to his breach in faith. Shakespeares personal sprightliness also affected the subject of his sonnet. As we cope that sonnets unrivalled to 126 were touch on with Shakespeares relationship to his patron and cordial superiors. Sonnets 127 beforehand were about a dark lady, possibly his mistress, sonnet 150 seemingly fits in with this pattern. Both the sonnets are written for different reasons. The S hakespearean sonnet is written to speak out about Sha! kespeares point of view and also acts as an unusual love sonnet to his dark lady. Donnes sonnet is more personal, as an appeal for help. As both sonnets are written for different reasons their feel and language is obviously varied. Donnes tone is uncivilised and accusing and he uses forceful language much(prenominal) as break, blow, burn to get his point across whereas Shakespeare is calmer and more thoughtful. Donne is intercourse the reader, or God, what they should do. Shakespeare (up until the rhyme coup permit) simply puts send the facts and lets the reader make of them what they will. Both these sonnets are English, but they are in different styles. Shakespeares sonnet keeps more or less to the twist of the Shakespearean sonnet, whilst Donnes sonnet, although still English, change shape the structure slightly to fit the subject. The Shakespearean sonnet is well suited to its form. In the start quatrain Shakespeare takes the compliments of the time and shows how fa lse they are precious coral is far more red than her lips are red on that point are quadruple examples each taking up one line. The examples he uses in the for the first time quatrains are all physical. in that location are four examples each taking up one line, My mistresses look are nothing like the sun. In the jiffy quatrain Shakespeare is still showing how unrealistic the compliments of the time were, but this time he does not just center on on physical appearance but also on things such(prenominal) as her breath. The examples are also slightly more complicated each taking up two lines. And in some perfumes is there more delight, Then in the breath from which my mistress reeks In the third quatrain the emphasis is no long-lived on physical appearance but on properties such as her voice and walk. In this quatrain Shakespeares true love for his mistress really begins to show as he says, I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing nu tritive The rhyming dyad at the end resumes up the! sonnet and also gives us a new understanding of the sonnet. The rhyming pair; And yet by heaven, I think my love is rare As any she belied by false compare. In this couplet he is suggesting that his love is realistic as he does not use false comparisons and therefore his love cannot be false. Donnes sonnet does not conform exactly to the conventional form of the Petrarchan sonnet. This makes the structure of his sonnet most interesting. In the first quatrain Donne asks God to force his way into his heart as onwards he has not done enough to keep John Donnes faith. As yet but knock, breath, shine and stress to mend. This also suggests that God had not yet got inside(a) John Donnes heart, but has remained on the outside. In the succeeding(a) couplet he is saying that he is like a possessed townsfolk but he is trying to let God in. The first line of this couplet is also an alliteration. I like an usurped town. In this couplet the words he uses seem desperate. In the f ollowing couplet he is asking God to rotate that his faith is not ill primed(p) by showing him something definite. Without check he is not rugged enough worship God unquestioningly. By the next quatrain nevertheless Donne is saying that although he loves God he does not have in force(p) faith in him. But am bespoke to your enemy. He is also saying that he would be happier if he was forced by someone else to worship his God than to have to try and force himself by will power alone. The rhyming couplet at the end uses sexual suggestions to reinforce the point that God must force himself on Donne in order for Donnes faith to be unquestioning. The rhyming couplet however does not sum up the sonnet or stand in the way that Shakespeares rhyming couplet does. It does however give a sense of completion and the tone mirrors the tone and texture of the rest of the poem. In conclusion I think that although both Shakespeare and Donne address different subjects, have different styles a nd are writing for different reasons they both adopt ! a style and language which would have shocked the public of the time The sonnets are also uniform because of the definite structure of the sonnets. Both sonnets are the same in that they are individual, original and unique. 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