Sit English HL Comparative Essay

In what ways do the poet use the portrayal of nature to explore human
experiences?
Shakespeare uses the imagery and metaphor of nature to explore human
experiences, such as human relationships and beauty, in both Sonnet 34 and
Sonnet 140.
Sonnet 34 is a tale of disgrace, expressing the poets bitterness and his feelings of
rejection. While most of his sonnets discuss the themes of love and intimacy, in
this particular sonnet, he expresses his insatisfaction towards the young mans
actions: betraying Shakespeare. On the other hand, sonnet 130 is an example of a
sonnet, which is a parody of all the love sonnets during Shakespeares time. The
negative portrayal of the mistress is present throughout the quatrains of this
sonnet, but this was done, possibly, as a critique of false compare often carried
out in traditional and conventional love sonnets.
In both sonnets, beauty is being compared with regards to nature. Shakespeare
portrays the environment and nature in such a way that it is able to mirror how
the protagonist feels in both sonnets. In both sonnets, he starts by
acknowledging the warmth provided by the sun. However, it sonnet 34, he
attempts to explain that the young man promise such a beauteous day in
comparison to his blunt comment that the Dark Ladys eyes are nothing like the
sun.
The Young man in sonnet 34 is portrayed as an individual synonymous to a
pearlrich and ransom all ill deed or of such a salve which highlights just how
precious he is to Shakespeare: the Young Man is associated with the image of
healng. Nature in this sonnet attempts to explain Shakespeares emotional grief
as he is trying to work on digesting the Young Mans betrayal. Likewise, he also
attempts to show his undying affection for this man by praising him of having
healing properties and that his tears are pearl which thy love sheds.
Apart from that, his portrayal of nature does tell us about human experience,
which is love, but there are also differences in the kind of love, which
Shakespeare is trying to tell his reader. In Sonnet 34, we get hints about
unrequited love while in Sonnet 130, it is debateable, but, it is possible that
through his use of language, he is depicting true love. In Sonnet 34, the language
used is more eloquent perhaps because of Shakespeares anger, which makes
him more articulate in the things he says. In contrast, the language he uses (in
Sonnet 130) is very straightforward and simple, which makes it easier for us to
understand his frankness. Also, the differences in the way these sonnets are
written suggest that the Dark Lady is not, in any possible way, comparable to the
Young Mans beauty. Here, in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare satirizes the clich
comparing of ones significant other to all things beautiful like the sun,roses or
snow. He mocks the usual romantic images by presenting to us a blazon of the
reality of the beauty of his mistress which is unlike that possessed by a goddess.
For example, in the first quatrain, he questions If snow be white, why then her
breasts are dun. A womans skin is often described as beautiful and white but

Shakespeares use of the word dun leaves many readers surprised, as this
doesnt resemble the extravagant claims other poets about skin and breasts
which are as white as snow. He suggests that the Dark Lady is not as beautiful as
the things found in nature, and beauty does not resemble the hyperbole, which
most poets use to describe a ladys beauty.
Upon reading Sonnet 130, the readers may feel that they get the impression that
Shakespeare doesnt really love the Dark Lady, but we can argue that because he
feels very comfortable with her, he is able to show his honesty and make these
blunt comparisons about her beauty. This is contrasted with his insecurity
towards the young man, especially in Sonnet 34, which prevents him from being
frank and blunt.
Moreover, he used base clouds in Sonnet 34 as a metaphor for the Young Mans
new lover or other suitor. He described this cloud as oerta[king] him which
signifies an important process of changing emotion: he was being surrounded by
feelings of betrayal and anger. This young man is also likened to be the sun
which gives him warmth. This can be shown in the line to dry the rain on [his]
strom-beaten face that Shakespeare alludes to the warmth of the sun to the
young mans ability to stop Shakespeares tears. However, Shakespeare also
attempts to explain his grief and rejection through phrases like storm-beaten
face, which exemplifies the harsh nature which resembled his true emotions and
his emphasis on his inner suffering. Shakespeare has also put emphasis on the
pronoun my in my storm-beaten face or my grief in order to explicitly state
his emotional suffering which was a consequence of the young man. In contrast,
in Sonnet 130, it becomes less personal perhaps because he was trying to make a
parody of the convential love sonnets. This is why it doesnt sound as articulate
as Sonnet 34, which was written for the young man.
However, in both sonnet 34 and 130, the couplet reveals the truth of the reality
of Shakespeares true emotions. In the couplet of 130, Shakespeare suggest that
she is actually beyond all the blazons. The Dark Lady is just as wonderful as
herself being the way she is, not needing all the exaggerated comparisons, which
are usually found in the conventional love poetry. He thinks his love is rare
which denotes the unsual quality of his love, and is more precious that that of the
love consisting of superficial comparisons of your significant others beauty. The
ending to Sonnet 34 is also a reversal to everything he presented in the first
three quatrains of the sonnet. He reveals that regardless of was the young man
did, his tears was so precious that he was able to buy Shakespeares forgiveness
through his tears which are pearls which has curative properties.