The sonnets by William Shakespeare always introduce the reader to a journey that captivates and involves a world full of passion, desire, and feelings that can change human life. The form of a sonnet allows the poet to express powerful thoughts and feelings in the most unexpected way. The combination of rhyme and meaning impresses. This form of poetry may confuse some people and cause the admiration of other people. It is hard to develop one particular understanding of Shakespeare’s works; still, it is always interesting to discover some new aspects of his messages. Shakespeare’s sonnets 18 and 129 deal with the themes of beauty and human desire that cannot be changed in time and describe the power of a human word regarding the challenges and boundaries set by society.
There are two powerful sonnets where the author describes two different periods of human life. Sonnet 129 explains the feelings that take place when “lust in action”, and it is “perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame” (Shakespeare, 2014a, line 3). Sonnet 18 introduces the stage when a person has already fallen in love and cannot resist the desire to memorize a beloved person by any possible means. “Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,/ When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st” (Shakespeare, 2014b, lines 11-12). Such intention to resist the natural law and underline the importance of feelings proves that even simple words can introduce a powerful thought. The structure of both sonnets is similar to the majority of Shakespeare’s works where three quatrains are followed by one two-line couplet. Though the author does not find it necessary to use too complicated language, the combination of words in the sonnets makes the reader think about the power of the ideas he wants to share. It is possible to imagine that these two sonnets describe the relations with the same person: Sonnet 129 represents the beginning when passion and desire play an important role, and Sonnet 18 introduces the possible results of such relations and a human ability to store and develop the relations.
The main theme of Sonnet 129 is sexual desire and the relations and feelings that can be developed on such desire. Though it is “Enjoyed no sooner but despised straight” (Shakespeare, 2014a, line 5), it is impossible to loathe or despise the speaker. Despite all lustful and socially incorrect feelings that are described in the sonnet, the reading process captivates and makes a person remember some secrete intentions and temptation. The power of this work is the possibility to awake the feelings that are hidden deep inside of a human soul and to prove that a person has the right to desire something passionately neglecting social expectations and morals.
Sonnet 18 describes another form of human passion. Though there are many rules and requirements that people have to consider in their lives, they still have a right to love and share their feelings. On the one hand, people may leave their attitudes unrecognized by society and live an ordinary life following the already established rules and orders. On the other hand, people are free to speak about their feelings aloud and motivate others to follow the same way as Shakespeare did in his Sonnet 18. Love cannot be measured or understood. It should be accepted, and people, who are lucky to experience the feeling of love, should appreciate this chance and enjoy the possibilities that become available.
In general, the sonnets under analysis show how Shakespeare can use simple words to introduce complicated ideas and describe the complexity of human feelings. There are neither right nor wrong feelings because people are free to develop their attitudes and prejudices toward everything around them. Shakespeare helps to realize that some things can challenge a person; still, it is always possible to understand what is more important in human life and make the most appropriate choice.
References
Shakespeare, W. (2014a). Sonnet CXXIX.Shakespeare’s Sonnet. Web.
Shakespeare, W. (2014b). Sonnet XVIII.Shakespeare’s Sonnet. Web.