Question

Read the following poem and then answer the question.

"Sonnet 104" by William Shakespeare

To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I ey'd,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold,
Have from the forests shook three summers' pride,
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn'd,
In process of the seasons have I seen,
Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burn'd,
Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green.
Ah! yet doth beauty like a dial-hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceiv'd;
So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand,
Hath motion, and mine eye may be deceiv'd:
For fear of which, hear this thou age unbred:
Ere you were born was beauty's summer dead.

Identify at least two poetic devices that influence the tone of the poem. Use specific quotes and details from the poem to support your answer. Your response should be at least five sentences in length.

Answer 1

In "Sonnet 104" by William Shakespeare, two poetic devices that influence the tone of the poem are metaphor and personification.The first device is metaphor, where the speaker compares beauty to a dial-hand. The metaphor suggests that beauty is fleeting and constantly changing. The speaker says, "Ah! yet doth beauty like a dial-hand, / Steal from his figure, and no pace perceiv'd." This comparison creates a melancholic tone as the speaker acknowledges the transience of beauty.The second device is personification, where the speaker assigns human qualities to non-human things. The speaker says, "Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn'd, / In process of the seasons have I seen." This personification creates a melancholic tone as the speaker assigns emotions to the seasons, suggesting that they are mourning the loss of spring and the arrival of autumn.Both of these poetic devices contribute to the melancholic and contemplative tone of the poem, as the speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty.

Step-by-step explanation: