Dissolution Versus Debauchery in Sonnet 96 Essay -- Sonnet essays

Dissolution Versus Debauchery in Sonnet 96 The sonnets of William Shakespeare chronicle the conflicts of love and lust in the midst of the blond young man and the brunet lady. In Sonnet 96, Shakespeare acts as an apologist on behalf of the blond young man as he concludes his discourse on the young mans oddb each. Here the poet presents a panorama of the young man as a misguided offspring caught up in youthful indiscretion, rather than a rapacious beast prowling for prey. Shakespeare illustrates the inseparable differences between dissolution and debauchery as he declares that upon first glance all is not as it appears therefore, the young mans character must be examined in greater detail. Endeavoring to engender empathy for the blond young man, the poet elucidates the young mans strengths while emending his weaknesses. However, it is the rising meter of iambic pentameter throughout the entire sonnet that sets a steady cps suggesting all is well there is no cause for alarm. The initial quatrain of Sonnet 96 opens the debate on dissolution and debauchery, implying youthful indiscretion is the young mans entirely somber flaw. The first two overseas telegrams of the sonnet begin in the same way, with parallel sentence structure and alliteration Some say, which is deceptive, as the remainder of twain lines hotshot and two are contradictory. In line 1, the poet chides the young man, telling him some people see his bad behavior as a effect of youth and immaturity, though there are others who believe his bad behavior is indicative of his inherent moral corruption. However, in line 2, the poet dismisses the concerns found in line 1 by characterizing the young mans youthful dalliances as a special privilege of one ... ... greatness The couplet, which should allow the poet to resolve any doubts regarding the young mans character, alternatively brings up more questions. The (b) rhyme of the first quatrain is found in the couplet with the words sort (13) and report (14). Why would the poet return to the quatrain of contradiction when he is so ending to restoring the young mans good name? This exact couplet is found in Sonnet 37, leaving one to wonder if this couplet belongs here at all. Does the poet very believe his own supposition that the young man is only a dissolute youth, or does he question the true moral character of the wizard he loves? Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 96. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Eds. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. 7th ed. 2 vols. New York Norton, 2000. 1 1031-32. Dissolution Versus Debauchery in Sonnet 96 search -- Sonnet essaysDissolution Versus Debauchery in Sonnet 96 The sonnets of William Shakespeare chronicle the conflicts of love and lust between the blond young man and the dark-haired lady. In Sonnet 96, Shakespeare acts as an apologist on behalf of the blond young man as he concludes his discourse on the young mans character. Here the poet presents a picture of the young man as a misguided youth caught up in youthful indiscretion, rather than a rapacious beast prowling for prey. Shakespeare illustrates the inherent differences between dissolution and debauchery as he declares that upon first glance all is not as it appears therefore, the young mans character must be examined in greater detail. Endeavoring to engender empathy for the blond young man, the poet elucidates the young mans strengths while emending his weaknesses. However, it is the rising meter of iambic pentameter throughout the entire sonnet that sets a steady rhythm suggesting all is well there is no cause for alarm. The initial quatrain of Sonnet 96 opens the debate on dissolution and debauchery, implying youthful indiscretion is the young mans only serious flaw. The first two lines of the sonnet begin in the same way, with parallel sentence structure and alliteration Some say, which is deceptive, as the remainder of both lines one and two are contradictory. In line 1, the poet chides the young man, telling him some people see his bad behavior as a result of youth and immaturity, though there are others who believe his bad behavior is indicative of his inherent moral corruption. However, in line 2, the poet dismisses the concerns found in line 1 by characterizing the young mans youthful dalliances as a special privilege of one ... ... greatness The couplet, which should allow the poet to resolve any doubts regarding the young mans character, instead brings up more questions. The (b) rhyme of the first quatrain is found in the couplet with the words sort (13) and report (14). Why would the poet return to the quatrain of contradiction when he is so close to restoring the young mans good name? This exact couplet is found in Sonnet 37, leaving one to wonder if this couplet belongs here at all. Does the poet truly believe his own supposition that the young man is only a dissolute youth, or does he question the true moral character of the friend he loves? Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 96. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Eds. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. 7th ed. 2 vols. New York Norton, 2000. 1 1031-32.