A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem, which has several literary features. Sonnet 71 was written by William Shakespeare in the 1590s. It is assumed that this sonnet was part of the ‘fair youth’ series which had information about the speaker’s relationship with a lover. The lover in this poem has been made anonymous, but it has been assumed that the lover was a young man. Sonnet 71 is a love poem that carries the message that the lover should not mourn the eventual death of the speaker. Readers have had various sentiments towards this poem, and some assert that the speaker does not act selflessly by telling the lover not to mourn when he dies. The speaker seems to be telling the lover that they should not forget them nor move on. Sonnet 71 is a beautiful piece that has literal features which enhance the poem’s authenticity.
As earlier stated, Sonnet 71 has several literary devices which work to enhance the poem. The most prolific literary tool used in this poem is the apostrophe. The apostrophe is the use of language to refer to an individual as if he or she is not there. The speaker communicates to the anonymous lover as if he is not there. The entire poem is surrounded by an apostrophe and the speaker talks to a lover through the letter after his death. Sonnet 71 has a given form of three quatrains and a couplet (Grimes). The quatrains have four lines each, while the couplet has two lines. The rhyme in the sonnet follows a rhyme scheme of the pattern ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This rhyme scheme pattern is consistent throughout the poem. Rhyme creates a given rhythm throughout the poem and enhances the aesthetic and literary value of the poem.
Sonnet 71 is specifically written in iambic pentameter, and the lines have a given form and structure. Iambic pentameter means that each line contains five sets of two beats, also known as metrical feet. Sonnet 71 also includes imagery as part of the literary devices employed in it. Imagery is the element of any literary work that engages the readers’ senses. Shakespeare uses imagery in many of his works, and Sonnet 71 is not an exemption. Imagery is used to give a picture of the message in the poem. Enjambment is the aspect of not completing a line and continuing its meaning in the next line. This intentional cutting of the line without it getting to its natural stop has been adopted in sonnet 71. The reader, therefore, has to read quickly to the next line to combine the meaning of the lines.
Shakespeare as a composer had very rich literary work, and the literary devices that he used are transparent. Sonnet 71 is one of these works that show the richness of Shakespeare’s work (Grimes). It is a love poem that has several literary devices that enhance the beauty of the work. Rhyme, apostrophe, imagery, and enjambment are some of the literary devices that are used in the poem. Reading through the works of Shakespeare requires a lot of focus and concentration on the literature itself. When the poem is analyzed, its beauty is unveiled, and the literary authenticity is exposed. Shakespeare’s works are thus works of art, and most of his literature are masterpieces that need to be appreciated.
Work Cited
Grimes, Linda Sue. “Shekespeare Sonnet 71: “No longer mourn for me when I am dead”.” Owlcation, 2021. Web.