In this essay I am going to compare and contrast sonnet 19 and 63 focusing on the poets intention and use of language and structure considering the destructive nature of time theme and the effect on the mans beauty. Sonnet 19 is about the destructive power of time and in, which is very explicit in this particular sonnet. The sonnet is based upon the personification of time used by Shakespeare. Sonnet 63’s theme is again about time and personifies time and performs beauty as an image. In Sonnet 19 Shakespeare represents Time as wild animals, like Lions and Tigers, because these animals are powerful just like Time.
For example “Devouring Time blunt thou the Lion’s paws”. This quote portrays Time as an animal devouring its prey – Time is the animal and the young mans beauty is the animals prey. Shakespeare uses Time as a hunting killing machine. Another reference to wild animals is “Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s jaws”. Time is portrayed as destructive and at some stage in the poets young friend he will become blunt and time will take away its ability to survive therefore destructive power is being torn away which emphasis’s on times power.
Whereas in Sonnet 63 the theme and intention is very similar to sonnet 19 but is portrayed in an ageing process. In sonnet 19 Shakespeare uses time and the destructive power of time however he uses a contrast of the old and young to appreciate time will eventually crush and wear you down, “With time’s injured hand crushed and o’erworn”. There is a major contrast in one line which mainly focuses on the ageing process “With lines and wrinkles when is youthful morn” this quote represents the soon to be death and time will have its turn upon you.
In sonnet 19 beauty is portrayed in many ways, however in a contrasting way to sonnet 63. “And make the earth devour hr own sweet blood”, eventually time will destroy the poet’s beautiful young friend, although the poet can do nothing to prevent this from happening. In sonnet 19 the poet writes as if this man is someone to worship against, “For beauty’s pattern to succeeding men. ” The personification is trying to convince the young man that if he doesn’t have children then Time will slowly take away his beauty.
However Shakespeare has given Time a female agenda, maybe because he is indicating to the young man that he needs a woman to carry on his beauty, “to the wide world and all her fading sweets”. In sonnet 63 there is a distinctive image of time being thief by stealing away beauty, “And all those beauties whereof king are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,” this quote is seen to be a flattering comment describing the flattering of kingdom beauty. In both sonnets similarly, the poet discussed seasons, in sonnet 19 “Stealing away the treasure of his spring” describing the freshness of spring with time being expressed as a metaphor.
Also in sonnet 63, “Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet’st” discusses the speed of time and the swift progress of the image by using seasons has a time date situation rather than using days because that would be seen as a slow pace. Sonnet 19 and 63 both suggest the use of personification with the intention of time being stolen, “Him in thy course untainted do allow,” interprets the swift progress of time being stolen. “Stealing away the treasure of his spring,” this quote suggests that beauty have being taken away although time is the thief in this interpretation.
In sonnet 19 and 63 there is a contrast between birth and death. In sonnet 19 future generations is discussed, “For beauty’s pattern to succeeding men,” the new generations will have something to model against with his existing beauty, Shakespeare is talking about a young man and persuading him to hand his beauty on by having children. Where as in sonnet 63 Shakespeare discusses death and its defence against time, “Against confounding age’s cruel knife That he shall never cut from memory” time is inevitable towards death with a war like image using a defence barrier. Age’s steepy night,” with an interpretation to declining death.
In sonnet 19 the final rhyming couplet as the end of the sonnet, “Yet do thy worst old Time: despite thy wrong, My love shall in my verse ever live young. ” This quote to me is similar in a way to the rhyming couplet in sonnet 63. However this couplet defines that the poets poems will preserve his feelings for love. Sonnet 63 “His beauty shall in these black lines be seen, And they shall live, and he in them still green. The young man is immortal through Shakespeare’s poems with vitality “green”. In both sonnets there’s a great deal of personification used.
In Sonnet 19 Shakespeare uses powerful imagery and personification to try and persuade the young man to carry on his lineage and his beauty. He personifies Time in Sonnet 19, for example “swift-footed Time”, “antique pen” and “Devouring Time blunt thou the lion’s paws”. All of these quotes are very important in Sonnet 19 because they are there to influence the young man into having children.
Also in sonnet 63 time is personified “time’s injurious hand”. Shakespeare uses the imagery of beauty in both sonnets. The imagery he uses is also very important in Sonnet 19 and 63. In sonnet 19 the imagery of powerful wild cats and phoenix’s give a sense of beauty and greatness of the importance of extending the young mans physical appearance. In sonnet 63 the imagery of contrasting “lines” is powerful throughout the poem. In the first quatrain “With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful mourn” in this line he uses “lines” as old age and wrinkles.
However there is a major contrast “His beauty shall in these black lines been seen” is seen as text writing, the lines he writes in his poem to preserve the young mans life. Although in comparison there is a similarity in sonnet 19, “Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen,” in such text both the age and wrinkles is described in this line with the image of drawing them on with an old pen. Therefore the image is represented in one line here whereas a contrast in two lines in sonnet 63.
In sonnet 19 alliteration is used “sorry seasons as thou fleet’st” to increase the pace and to give the image of swift time in progress. Whereas in sonnet 63 metaphorical language is used, “Times injurious hand” and “treasure of his spring” to describe the theme time. In both sonnets there is a change in tone. In sonnet 19 the tone changes during the second quatrain, “But I forbid thee one most heinous crime,” and also in sonnet 63 there is a turn in the couplet “His beauty shall in these black lines be seen, And they shall live, and he in them still green. ”
A sonnet is recognised as a poem that consists of fourteen lines split up into quatrains having ten syllables in each line and ends with a rhyming couplet. In sonnet 19 the first quatrain Shakespeare discusses the implications of the power of time and how nothing or no body can prevent this. In the second quatrain the mans beauty is displayed by imagery by Shakespeare and the third quatrain discusses the future generations and the persuasion and consequences of having children to extend his beauty. In sonnet 63 the first quatrain discusses the personification of time and strength towards beauty.
The second quatrain suggests the imagery of beauty similarly to sonnet 19’s second quatrain. Finally the third quatrains a turn in the tome and suggests the theme is defence against time memories and death. In both sonnets there is a regular rhyme scheme using the iambic pentameter, there is a current flow in both sonnets with a theme connected to each quatrain. Concluding there is many similarities and differences between the two sonnets throughout imagery, intention, language and structure, mainly more comparisons and similarities rather than differences and contrasts.
