The Renaissance -- Sonnets

Shakespeare uses AB,AB,CD,CD,EF,EF,GG. It's really more like A,B,A,B. They kinda connect but with Spencer I really liked his because his are easier to understand. I understand Spencer's poem, well sonnet better. Spencer sonnets would go like AB, AB, BC, BC, CD,CD,EE. Either or i understood Spencer's sonnet better. I would prefer Spencer over Shakespeare.

At the begining of Shakespeare's poem the question he asked was " shall i compare thee to a summer's day?". At the 1st part " Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (A)
Thou art more lovely and more temperate. (B)
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, (A)
And summer's lease hath all to short a date. (B). What Shakepear is talking about in his sonnet is that. That this man is sooo beautiful that, he would always be this way because his beauty will always be read about. In Spencers sonnet he's saying that, he like's this girl and they are complete oposites, but he will always like her no matter what she say or does. But he really don't understand why this is his case and he also feels like he can compare them both to ice ans fire. Even if it seems like fire would melt ice and ice would but out fire. when it comes down to this that theroy is so not true. In Spencer's sonnet he say's " My love is like to ice, and I to fire; (A)
How comes it then that this her cold so great (B)
Is not dissolved through my so hot desire, (A)
But harder grows the more I her entreat? (B)". I really like this sonnet becuase it made me remember the days I would like a boy and they wouldn't like me in that way. Even if i knew this i would still like them no matter what. But it really is'nt like that anymore!

The first pic i decided to post reflects Spencers sonnet that I like so much. The second one was how Shakespeare was talking about a beautiful man and all and I found that man to be very beautiful in my eyes! But the way Shakespeare made like a spell or something because in the sonnet he say's something like, even if you get old people will read this over and over again and your beauty will always remain no matter what. I thought that he was trying to cast a spell or something and he kind of did because people read this sonnet over and over again.

SONNET XV = Ye tradeful merchants, that with weary toil
Ye tradeful merchants, that with weary toil (a) do seek most precious things to make your gain,(b) = He’s asking the merchants why do they travel to find things in vain.and both the Indias of their treasures spoil,(a)what needeth you to seek so far in vain?(b)
For loe my love doth in herself contain(b)all this world's riches that may far be found,(c)of Saphires, loe her eyes be saphires plain,(b)= he feels like the girl that he’s with has all the treasures. He starts comparing her eye’s and lips to two different jewels Sapphires and rubies in a very positive way.if Rubies, loe her lips be rubies sound:(c)
if Pearls, her teeth be pearls both pure and round: (c) if Ivory, her forehead ivory ween; (d)if Gold, her locks are finest gold on ground;(c)= if silver, her fair hands are silver sheen. (d) Here he’s comparing her teeth to pearl and pearl is shiny and white. He compares her forehead to ivory and ivory is milky and smooth. He also compares her hair to gold and gold is very bright and eye catching so that means she has very beautiful hair, because gold is a very beautiful element! He compares her hands to silver I really don’t know why but that’ not an ugly element neither so either or what is said about her is all positive and wonderful!
But that which fairest is, but few behold, (e) = Here he is saying that even if she is all of the above and that’s all good, he really only and truly likes her for her mind. her mind adorned with vertues manifold. (e)

I really liked this sonnet because it made me want to think. And I feel like that was one thing I was doing to much of but, either or I thought that it was wonderful. When I finally got the hang of translating what he was trying to say, it made me like it even more.

XX
1. A woman's face with nature's own hand painted, a2. Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion; b 3. A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted a4. With shifting change, as is false women's fashion: b5. An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling, c6. Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth; d7. A man in hue all hues in his controlling, c8. Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth. d 9. And for a woman wert thou first created; e10. Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting, f 11. And by addition me of thee defeated, e12. By adding one thing to my purpose nothing. f 13. But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure, g14. Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure. g

When I first started reading this I thought he was really talking about a woman and like when we got down to line 7 & 8 it all turned around. See what the sonnet is really saying is that; he believes in Mother Nature and in this sonnet Shakespeare is saying that Mother Nature made this man who looks like a woman, but since Mother Nature is a woman she added a private area on to her to call him a man. I was like what in the world that was a good way to put it. Then if you look in lines 13 & 14 he says’s “13. But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure, g14. Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure. g” . Here he is saying that even if he’s a man yeah he can please the women but he will always be his lover no matter what. I’m like so against it, but he wrote this sonnet very well!