Sonnet 10: For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any
For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any,
Who for thy self-art so unprovident.
Grant, if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many,
But that thou none lov’st is most evident:
For thou art so possessed with murderous hate,
That ‘gainst thy self thou stick’st not to conspire,
Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate
Which to repair should be thy chief desire.
O! change thy thought, that I may change my mind:
Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?
Be, as thy presence is, gracious and kind,
Or to thyself at least kind-hearted prove:
Make thee another self for love of me,
That beauty still may live in thine or thee.
Summary of Sonnet 10: For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any
- Popularity of “Sonnet 10”: Written by the renowned poet, playwright, and actor William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 10” is a suggestive poem. It creates an image of the marriage as a house that needs some repairs. This metaphorical poem suggests that one should marry in time to transfer their beauty to their offspring. “Sonnet 10” is read and adored widely mainly for its simple language and universal thematic strand.
- “Sonnet 10” As a Representative of Care: This poem is about the importance of getting married. It begins when the speaker seems a bit angry with his young friend. He urges him to accept if he feels ashamed of his actions of not getting married. He thinks that his friend is a self-made person. It seems that he does not care about anyone’s feelings. The speaker informs the readers that many people love his friend, but he does not love anyone. As the poem continues, he further shows resentment of his stubborn attitude. He says his friend possesses murderous hate for himself as he intends to destroy his chances of getting loved and praised by the world. In the third quatrain, the speaker asks him to change his mind and listen to what he says to him. The speaker tells him that hate can never overshadow soothing and fascinating love. Therefore, in the final couplet, the speaker advises him to get married and shift his beauty to his children.
- Major Themes in “Sonnet 10: For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any”: The importance and perseverance of beauty are the major themes of the sonnet. However, it has a harsh tone. The angry speaker wants to change his friend’s mind, who does not want to marry. To the speaker, he is doing wrong to himself. He is not letting the world enjoy and admire his beauty for a long time. The poem beautifully presents a caring voice that constantly tries to persuade his friend. He wants him to value love and beauty. He urges him to have children to create another version of his beautiful self. However, the youth does not seem to grab the writer’s idea that he is going to die and there would be no one left behind to continue his life.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 10: For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any
literary devices are tools that are used to bring quality and richness to simple texts. Shakespeare has also used various literary devices in the poem; the analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any” and the sound of /i/ in “Which to repair should be thy chief desire.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “Or to thyself at least kind-hearted prove” and the sound of /t/ in “Grant, if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Shakespeare used imagery in this poem, such as, “or thou art so possessed with murderous hate,” and “O! change thy thought, that I may change my mind.”
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The writer has used this device throughout the poem to show the contrastive ideas of his friends regarding marriage and having children.
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet has used the extended metaphors of love and beauty just to show that love gives you the power to understand the meaning of life.
- Symbolism: Symbolism uses symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. “with murderous hate” and “thy self thou stick’st not to conspire” symbolize his friend’s rigid stance toward marriage.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 10: For shame deny that thou bear’st love to any
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Couplet: There are two constructive lines of verses in a couplet, usually having the same meter and rhyme scheme. This sonnet ends with a couplet, which usually reveals the central idea of the poem such as;
“Make thee another self for love of me,
That beauty still may live in thine or thee.”
- End Rhyme: End rhyme means the rhyming of the ending words. Shakespeare has used end rhyme in this poem such as “any/many, “me/thee” and “kind/mind.”
- Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line. The sonnet follows iambic pentameter such as; “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. There are three quatrains in this poem.
- Rhyme Scheme: The sonnet follows the ABABCDCD rhyme scheme in its octave and EFEFGG in its sestet.
- Sonnet: A sonnet is a fourteen-lined poem usually written in iambic pentameter. This Shakespearean sonnet consists of an octave and a sestet.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful for anyone seeking the true meanings of love like how it transforms our life and thoughts eventually.
“Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?
Be, as thy presence is, gracious and kind,
Or to thyself at least kind-hearted prove:”
