Shakespeare's sonnet "When forty winters shall besiege thy brow" discusses the need of having children in order to preserve one's beauty and legacy. Speaking to the Fair Youth, the speaker warns him that his beauty would soon fade and his face will resemble a plowed field. After that, he won't be abRead more
Shakespeare’s sonnet “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow” discusses the need of having children in order to preserve one’s beauty and legacy. Speaking to the Fair Youth, the speaker warns him that his beauty would soon fade and his face will resemble a plowed field. After that, he won’t be able to preserve his reputation because of humiliation. The only solution to this is for the young man to have a kid that he may endow with his attractiveness. He’ll then have a justification for his wrinkles. In addition, he will appear to have been born again.
See less
Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two unrelated things, without using "like" or "as." Example from the poem: "And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field." Imagery: The use of vivid and descriptive language to create sensory impressions and evoke imagery in the reader's mind. Example fromRead more
Sonnet 2 Summary
See less