The rhyme scheme in the sonnet is ABABBCBCCDCDEE. Sonnet 75 Summary
English Notes Latest Questions
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The central idea of the sonnet is how the poet talks of writing his lover's name in the sand and then seeing it get carried away by the tide. He persists regardless of the number of times it occurs. Even after his sweetheart informs him that she doesn't want to live forever, he keeps writing. She shRead more
The central idea of the sonnet is how the poet talks of writing his lover’s name in the sand and then seeing it get carried away by the tide. He persists regardless of the number of times it occurs. Even after his sweetheart informs him that she doesn’t want to live forever, he keeps writing. She shouldn’t live among the world’s lesser things, in his opinion. Spenser’s speaker implies in his conclusion that his love will continue forever
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Extended Metaphor: The entire poem hinges on an extended metaphor where the ocean and its relentless waves represent the passage of time, threatening to erase everything in its path, including the speaker's love and his written words. This comparison between the impermanence of physical things and tRead more
- Extended Metaphor: The entire poem hinges on an extended metaphor where the ocean and its relentless waves represent the passage of time, threatening to erase everything in its path, including the speaker’s love and his written words. This comparison between the impermanence of physical things and the enduring power of love forms the core of the poem’s message.
- Imagery: Vivid imagery brings the poem to life. The opening lines paint a clear picture of the waves washing away the inscription on the sand, while later lines evoke images of marble tombs, skies filled with stars, and a phoenix rising from its ashes. These images effectively communicate the fleeting nature of life and the contrast with the everlasting power of love.
- Enjambment: The poet frequently uses enjambment, where a sentence runs over from one line to the next without a punctuation mark. This creates a sense of flow and momentum, mirroring the relentlessness of time and the speaker’s determination to defy it. Lines 9 and 10, for instance, with their enjambment, build tension and anticipation before revealing the speaker’s hope for his love’s immortality.
- Alliteration: Spenser uses alliteration throughout the poem to create a musical quality and emphasize keywords. For example, the repetition of “w” sounds in the first line (“One day I wrote her name upon the strand, But came the waves and washed it away:”) mimics the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Other notable examples include “pains” and “prey” in line 4, and “verse” and “virtues” in line 11.
The poem "Sonnet 75" explores the impact of poetry in general. The speaker of the poem wishes for his beloved to live on forever. Still, she counters that this is futile and unnecessary because she is a human person and would eventually pass away together with her mortal body. On the other hand, theRead more
The poem “Sonnet 75” explores the impact of poetry in general. The speaker of the poem wishes for his beloved to live on forever. Still, she counters that this is futile and unnecessary because she is a human person and would eventually pass away together with her mortal body. On the other hand, the speaker feels that her nobility and beauty merit eternal glory, and that he may use his poetry to immortalize her and give her a measure of victory over death.
Sonnet 75 Summary
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