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Shakespeare uses both love and beauty in Romeo and Juliet in order to express the characters feelings and opinions towards each other and also to express their understanding of love and beauty relative to the Elizabethan time period; in the same way that he does in ‘sonnet 130’, Carol Ann Duffy does in ‘Having’ and ‘Valentine’, Lord Byron in ‘She walks in beauty’ and John Done in ‘The Flea. ‘ Although their poems all differ (whether it’s in choice of language, style or the overall focus of the poem,) they all share the aspect of love and beauty which creates the main link teen all of the poems.
Shakespearean ‘Sonnet 130’ is a very contrasting poem in that he creates the typical imagery that would be expected from someone either trying to woo a girl, or describing their “mistress”; however, he then goes on to say that his “mistress” is nothing like that and in some cases seemingly that she’s the opposite. For example “l love to hear her speak, yet well I know music hath a far more pleasing sound. ” The first 12 lines are focused on the main idea of the poem, then the rhyming couplet at the end adds an unexpected twist to the sonnet.
The poem creates the idea of courtly love, which was far more common during the Elizabethan times than today. Despite the fact that Shakespeare appears to be very criticizing of the woman and her beauty, he is giving a more realistic view on a woman’s appearance than most poems about love. If somebody read their lover this poem in today’s society it would more than likely be taken into great offence and result in arguments since things like “than in the breath that from my mistress reeks” are considered insulting because it is basically saying that she had bad breath.
This poem is unique as with other love poems that speak from a point of view of someone wearing rose-tinted glasses, Shakespeare gives a very realistic description. She won’t be perfect and the general clicks that are usually used will be false. Despite the fact it seems as though he is mocking his “mistress” he does end the poem with “as any belied with false compare” meaning that he finds her Just as pretty as any woman who is “belled” (lied about,) with all of the clicks. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare also creates the idea of courtly love. Amen, amen! But come what sorrow can.
It cannot countervail the exchange of Joy” “Romeo “That one short minute gives me in her sight. ” “Do thou but close our hands with hold words. ” “Then love-devouring death do what he dare-is it enough I may call her mine” These quotes demonstrate some of the refined yet courtly love which Shakespeare shows in the play. This was very typical during those times since people didn’t marry for love but because they were arranged either for their families wealth or for their reputation. It was a time period where people didn’t marry their partner because hey loved them, they learned to love them because they married them.
Alternatively to ‘Sonnet 130’, the description of love in Romeo and Juliet is very stereotypical. “Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. So shows a snowy dove trooping with beautiful to die and be buried and that her beauty makes her stand out from other women like a white dove among a flock of black crows. This is very different to ‘sonnet 130’ because Romeo and Juliet is from, not an unrealistic perspective , but one from someone who is so wrapped up in love that they exaggerate the beauty of the one hey love and everything they do becomes beautiful and perfect.
Even though Romeo and Juliet was performed in 1594/95 and its thought that Shakespearean sonnet 130, along with the other sonnets, were written around the same time (about 1 598,) the two seemingly have very different outlooks on love and beauty, however, they both demonstrate courtly love and give the impression that Shakespeare was in love with the idea of love. The fact that they both share this aspect could be due to the fact that they were both written by William Shakespeare or that they were both written ring the time when courtly love was the norm.
John Donna’s ‘The flea’ implies that the woman doesn’t believe in sex before marriage; considering it a sin. This way of thinking is very uncommon in today’s society, however it was a thing that almost everyone believed in during the time this poem was written. “A sin, or shame or loss of maidenhead. ” Alternatively, Done also portrays the idea that there is nothing wrong with sex and that it isn’t something to be ashamed of. “Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence. ”