Introduction
Sonnets appear to be one of the oldest poetic forms in literature history, but their content seems still relevant to say nothing about the extent of their influence on poetry evolution. Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that there are two significant schools within the genre: English and Italian. In other words, it is peculiar to examine how different and, yet, close these traditions are on specific examples.
Body
The themes of the sonnets under discussion appear to be closely related. Both Shakespeare and Dafney describe a romantic story, but there are different perspectives. Shakespeare develops ideas on trust in relationships and speculates over a man’s struggle against getting older. Meanwhile, Dafney tells a female story of a romantic relationship that, unlike Shakespeare’s sonnet, is tragic in a way that the lyrical character is separated from the loved one. As for the format, the example of these two sonnets demonstrates one of the main differences in the Italian and English traditions. The former has two parts that vary within the sonnet, while the latter is a unified piece. Another difference is the rhyme scheme: Dafney uses the unique scheme typical of Petrarchan poetry, and Shakespeare’s sonnet contains iambic pentameter lines. Speaking of the figurative language, Dafney writes, “satisfy her passion gently” or, for instance, “kisses so sweet.” The examples of metaphorical language in Shakespeare’s sonnet are: “made of truth” and “false-speaking tongue.” Finally, turn – or volta in Italian – occurs between the octave and the sestet in Dafney’s sonnet and before the final couplet in Shakespeare’s piece.
Conclusion
To conclude, Shakespeare’s and Dafney’s sonnets represent two influential traditions in a sonnet genre. In their examples, it is demonstrated that Italian and English schools vary when it comes to formats, rhyme schemes, and turns. However, it is also fair to claim that neither of the pieces gives in to the quality. Moreover, they focus on one subject yet, providing the reader with different perspectives on love.
References
Dafney, L. Perfectly Poised. Poetry – Life in Verse. Web.
Shakespeare, W. Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth. Poetry Foundation. Web.