One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
But came the waves and washèd it away;
Again I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.
"Vain man," said she, "that dost in vain assay
A mortal thing so to immortalize!
For I myself shall like to this decay,
And eke my name be wipèd out likewise."
"Not so," quod I, "let baser things devise
To die in dust, but you shall live by fame:
My verse your virtues rare shall eternize,
And in the heavens write your glorious name;
Where, whenas death shall all the world subdue,
Our love shall live, and later life renew.
This sonnet is one that sounds very beautiful when read out loud. The words make it sound like a very soft and calm poem and gives implies love to be a central subject. Amongst the three sonnets this one popped out and caught my eye.
The subject matter is about a man, a lover, who attempts to write a woman's name (Queen Elizabeth?) on the beach multiple times to preserve it. However, the waves constantly come in and wash away his attempts. The woman, who now seems tense criticizes the man since he is unable to preserve the name on the beach and seems to declare that if her name keeps getting washed away, then she too will be wiped out one day. The man denies this and states that even if such unmeaning-full things get erased, the woman will surely live on. Even if death does take her, she will be remembered forever and her name shall live on in heaven. Moreover, he declares that their love shall live on forever despite the various obstacles.
The rhyme scheme in the poem and the word choice enhances the overall sound of the poem and aids in understanding it. Though there is tension within the poem, the overall feeling is quite subtle and makes a strong point: Even if concrete objects get wiped out and eliminated, if there is true love, it will never fade away and will never be forgotten.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
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