Question

Read "Sonnet 104" by William Shakespeare. Then, answer the question that follows.

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.

How does the form of the sonnet impact the meaning of Shakespeare's poem?

Repetition of the same lines throughout emphasizes the point that the subject of the poem is old and is in the winter of her life.
Six stanzas break the sonnet into seasons of life and describe each season in a tercet, or group of three lines.
There is no rhyme scheme or meter, which makes the poem seem like an informational paragraph about beauty and growing older.
The shift and the couplet help to explain that even though you will age, don't be afraid because your beauty will be talked about forever.

Answer 1

The form of Shakespeare's sonnet impacts the meaning of the poem by structuring it in a way that emphasizes the passage of time and the theme of beauty's impermanence. The poem follows a traditional sonnet form, with fourteen lines and a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The use of this form, along with the repetition of certain phrases, such as "three winters cold" and "three beauteous springs," creates a sense of the passage of time and the inevitability of aging. The final couplet serves as a shift in the poem, where Shakespeare presents a warning to the subject of the poem, urging them to recognize the fleeting nature of beauty and to appreciate it while they can. Overall, the form of the sonnet helps to convey the poem's themes and message about the transience of beauty and the importance of cherishing it while it lasts.