Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass” Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

In his sonnet, Shakespeare reflects the theme of time by mentioning various seasons of the year and comparing them to a girl’s age and appearance. Particularly, the poet equates his beloved one’s youth and beauty to “a summer’s day” (Shakespeare 1). Spring months, specifically May, according to the author, are not as charming and warm as summer ones due to their “rough winds” (Shakespeare 3). However, the poet does not only dwell on the topic of beauty in his sonnet. Shakespeare also touches upon the theme of fading and death. Still, while the poet admits that everything in this life comes to an end, he is convinced that his girl’s beauty will never disappear. Hence, both the temporal and metaphorical meanings of summer, when related to the main heroine, are reflected in the author’s confidence that her “eternal summer shall not fade” (Shakespeare 9).

Contrary to Shakespeare, Hardy puts an emphasis on the process of aging and the wistful realization that one’s good looks are gradually deteriorating. The poet uses such phrases as “wasting skin” (Hardy 3), “heart had sunk” (4), “lonely wait… endless rest” (7) to express his melancholic state. Hardy, unlike Shakespeare, is rather pessimistic in his expectations of what the future holds for him. Shakespeare is confident that beauty will not disappear even death brags the girl “wanderest in his shade” (11). Meanwhile, Hardy is sure that time “steals” his youth and beauty gradually (10). Therefore, both poets resort to the theme of time in their pieces, but their expectations of the future are quite dissimilar. Shakespeare is optimistic and believes that true beauty will never fade, whereas Hardy is pessimistic and expects his hero’s condition to worsen with the years to come.

Works Cited

Hardy, Thomas. Bartleby.com., n.d., Web.

Shakespeare, William. Poetry Foundation, n.d., Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, June 6). Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/time-in-shakespeares-sonnet-18-and-hardys-i-look-into-my-glass/

Work Cited

"Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass”." IvyPanda, 6 June 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/time-in-shakespeares-sonnet-18-and-hardys-i-look-into-my-glass/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass”'. 6 June.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass”." June 6, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/time-in-shakespeares-sonnet-18-and-hardys-i-look-into-my-glass/.

1. IvyPanda. "Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass”." June 6, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/time-in-shakespeares-sonnet-18-and-hardys-i-look-into-my-glass/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Time in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Hardy’s “I Look into My Glass”." June 6, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/time-in-shakespeares-sonnet-18-and-hardys-i-look-into-my-glass/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1