The poetic styles and themes of William Shakespeare
Although there is no documented evidence concerning the exact dates that Shakespeare wrote his sonnets, the common belief is that they were written between 1592 and 1609. In 1609 they were published by Thomas Thorpe and this publication is the basis for all modern texts of the sonnets.
All but three of the sonnets follow the established English form of the sonnet. The three that are written in different forms are sonnets 99, 126 and 145. The rest are 14 line poems in iambic pentameter* form. They are made up of four sections, three quatrains followed by a couplet. The themes of each quatrain are slightly different from, but relates to, the overall theme of each other as well as the entire work. The couplet that follows summarizes the argument or theme of the entire works. Shakespeare’s couplets do not have this traditional summary, although he did follow the traditional English rhyme scheme.
The 154 sonnets that Shakespeare wrote are often taken as a series or sequence. This series is divided into two sections; the first is sonnets 1-126 which focus on a young man and the narrator’s friendship with him. Many people believe that this young man may have been the lover of Shakespeare, this is however, unsubstantiated. It is only made clear in a few poems that the person being spoken of is a man. Most of these first sonnets are not directly addressing another person. In the second group, sonnets 127-152, Shakespeare addresses a woman. The two remaining poems, 153 and 154, are translations of classical versus about the mythical Cupid. The exact purpose of these two is widely disputed by critics.
Shakespeare explored many themes including the conventional love and beauty, time and mortality. His approach to these themes was unique and distinctive. He is most noted for his exploration of the theme of love and praise directed towards s young man rather than a young lady. He repeatedly expresses the desire to immortalize a young man’s beauty. He also writes about betrayal as it relates to the young man, thus exposing/exploring the dark side of relationships and love. The ubiquitous, yet subtle, eroticism throughout his works leave critics to debate as to the sexual nature of the relationship between Shakespeare and the young man of whom he writes.
The language in Shakespeare’s sonnets is passionate, emotional and erotic. The use of such powerful language as initiated the desire of critics, historians and scholars to determine the basis for his works; none has been able to find actual ties to his life or the people in it. This lack of evidence only adds to the mystery and in no way diminishes the possibility that his work was based in part or in whole on his life. His writings heighten our own feeling about matters of concern to all of us: despair, jealousy, hope, love, companionship, betrayal and acceptance.
Iambic pentameter is one of many meters used in poetry and drama. It describes a particular rhythm that the words establish in each line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet". The word "iambic" describes the type of foot that is used (in English, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable). The word "pentameter" indicates that a line has five of these "feet". (Wikapedia.com)