Question

Shakespeare sonnet 12 summary

Answer 1

Sonnet 12 is notable for its musical quality, thanks largely to the effective use of alliteration and attractive vowel runs, which are of unusual merit. This sonnet, along with Sonnet 15, which is also notable for its musical quality, is almost always included in anthologies of lyric poetry. Note the striking concluding lines and how they convey the sense of sorrow and poignancy at the thought that youth and beauty must be cut down by time's scythe. The contrast of "brave day" with "hideous night" is particularly good. And, as one critic has pointed out, the sonnets beginning with "When" are especially noteworthy because the structure of such sonnets is periodic (consisting of a series of repeated stages), making for tightness of organization, logical progression, and avoidance of a tacked-on couplet, while admirably evoking seasonal change.