Shakespeare’s sonnets explore themes of love, aging, beauty, time, lust, societal obligations, and feelings of incompetence. He uses symbols such as stars, trees, flowers, and weather to convey the turbulent nature of human relationships and the delicate nature of life and beauty. Shakespeare also explores the conflict between true love and sexual desire, the harmful effects of love, and the idea of creating one’s own destiny. He suggests that children should be born to maintain beauty, as time is an enemy of vitality and physical identity.
The Shakespearean sonnet’s themes explore ideas of love, aging, beauty, time, lust, practical obligations, and feelings of incompetence. These themes emerge from Shakespeare’s descriptions of the relationships between his characters. They are also evident in his use of narrative language and explanations of the speaker’s internal feelings. Further themes of Shakespeare’s sonnet include the struggle between what collective society is willing to accept and the wishes of an individual.
In Shakespeare’s poetry there is the idea that beauty disappears with time, making a person less desirable and a little depressed about their existence. The idea behind one of the most prolific themes in Shakespeare’s sonnet is that children should be born to maintain beauty. Since the ability to maintain an ideal physique and set of hot looks is impossible, the only hope is to create the next generation that will inherit those characteristics. Time is seen as an enemy of vitality, worth and physical identity.
Another of Shakespeare’s sonnet themes focuses on the idea of conflict between true love and mere sexual desire. From the point of view of the poet, there is often confusion about who is who. Lust can masquerade as love and is easily mistaken for it. There is a temptation to pursue what is visually enticing, rather than taking the time to discover genuine feelings.
Shakespeare also explores the idea that love or feelings of love can be harmful. In the language of his poem, the author describes the emotional and physical effects of being involved in romantic relationships. Illness is one of the consequences, in addition to the negative feelings of isolation that occur after separation. There is also the risk of vulnerability in being in a romantic relationship, as individuals’ lives, decisions and self-concepts become dependent on each other.
Within the themes of the Shakespearean sonnet is the use of symbols. Some of these include stars, trees, flowers, and the weather. For example, the recurring symbol of the weather and seasons is used to communicate the turbulent nature behind human feelings. Relationships often go through the same sort of cycles that weather patterns do, which Shakespeare clearly illustrates in the language of some of his verse.
The symbol of the stars is used by the author to convey the idea of destiny. Rather than accepting the idea that fate is predetermined, Shakespeare explores the idea of an individual’s ability to create their own destiny. Flowers and trees represent the delicate nature of life and beauty. In a sense, possessing beauty obliges a person to have children and ensure a more favorable set of circumstances for future generations.
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