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However, understanding this theme is very difficult if the extended metaphor that is the heart of the poem is not properly interpreted.Īnother of the sonnets that relies on the use of extended metaphor is “Sonnet 5” which is one of the famous “procreation” poems. The poem relies on the use of extended metaphor to suggest that art is the truest way for any idea or feeling to transcend the limitations of time. In other words, “Sonnet 18” is about the nature of artistic inspiration and the longevity of art. In the last line, the word “this” is repeated for emphasis and refers to the poem itself. So long lives this and this gives life to thee” (Shakespeare, 18, 13-14). The ending couplet: “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
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Similarly, the poem’s closing lines reinforce the idea that the poem’s theme is the enduring nature of art. The woman might be Shakespeare’s art itself, and the poem an evidence of its “eternal summer.” It is through this comparison that readers are encouraged to view the woman of the poem as something more than merely mortal.
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In this case, Shakespeare uses extended metaphor to express the eternal nature of the young woman in the poem. Later in the poem, he writes “But thy eternal summer shall not fade” (Shakespeare, 18, 9) which brings about another inversion because it is generally the seasons which are thought of as both fleeting and eternal. The line “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date” (Shakespeare,18, 4) introduces the theme of death and inverts this theme so that it applies to the day rather than the woman. Because a day moves by so quickly, Shakespeare’s comparison accents the fleeting nature of youth and beauty. One of the previously unseen similarities between the beautiful young woman and the lovely summer day is the woman’s mortality. the rest of the poem continues along the same metaphorical lines. That opening line sets up the comparison in a very obvious way. The extended metaphor begins with the poem’s opening line “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (Shakespeare, 18, 1). For example, in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18,” the sustained comparison is between a beautiful lady and a single day of summer. The comparison of the two things usually results is bringing out out traits of both which were previously unseen. When employing extended metaphor, a poet is usually trying to sustain a comparison between two seemingly unconnected themes. Many of the sonnets which are openly about love or art employ the device of extended metaphor in order to help to express a theme of wholeness. The use of extended metaphor in Shakespeare’s sonnets often indicates a theme of enduring love. Extended Metaphor in Shakespeare’s Sonnets