Sonnet 3 Analysis - Literary devices and Poetic devices

Sonnet 3: Look in Thy Glass and Tell The Face Thou Viewest by William Shakespeare

Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest,
Now is the time that face should form another,
Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,
Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother.
For where is she so fair whose uneared womb
Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?
Or who is he so fond will be the tomb
Of his self-love, to stop posterity?
Thou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime;
So thou through windows of thine age shalt see,
Despite of wrinkles, this thy golden time.
But if thou live rememb’red not to be,
Die single, and thine image dies with thee.

Summary of Sonnet 3

Popularity of “Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest”: This beautiful poem is written by William Shakespeare, an English literary canonical icon. It is part of his collection of 154 sonnets published in 1609. In this poem, he attempts to persuade a fair youth to marry to transfer his beauty. The poem earned lasting glory for Shakespeare due to its universal appeal. In fact, the poet reminds us that we are mortal beings; therefore, we should have kids to remember the beauty we once had.
Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest” As a Representation of Beauty: This poem revolves around the phenomenon of the transience of life. The writer begins this poem with an absorbing image of a man looking into a mirror. He tells the fair youth to look into the mirror and describe his own reflection that he should marry to form a copy of his beauty. He adds that if the youth rejects his suggestions, he will cheat the world. In addition, he will cheat the woman who could have been the mother of his offspring. To persuade him further, the writer adds that the youth beautifully reflects his mother’s beauty. To him, his mother would have found her youthful appearance alive in her children. Therefore, the young man should follow her mother’s footsteps. He should marry and transfer his beauty to his children. However, if he fails to realize the bitter reality, he will die young, and his image will also die with him.
Major Themes in “Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest”: The transience of life and perseverance of beauty by means of having children are the core themes of the poem. Throughout the poem, the poet seems concerned about the young man’s future, having both negative and positive outcomes. The poet urges the young man to get married and give this world a chance to adore beauty for a long time. However, if he rejects the speaker’s idea of procreation, his beauty will die with him. If he decides not to have children, there will be no one to remember him. Thus, this simple poem presents the fragility and immortality of life. The speaker knows that death is an unavoidable phenomenon; it treats young and old equally. Therefore, he wants the youth to enjoy life to the maximum before meeting death.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest

literary devices are the writer’s tools; they use them to make their texts appealing. Their appropriate use helps readers to hit the main idea of the poem. Shakespeare has also inserted various literary devices in this poem, and the analysis is as follows.

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” and the sound of /o/ in “Or who is he so fond will be the tomb.”
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ in “Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest” and the sound of /t/ in “Thou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee.”
Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Shakespeare used imagery in this poem such as, “Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest” and “Despite of wrinkles, this thy golden time.”
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 metaphor of perseverance of beauty just to show that beauty is short-lived. Therefore, it should be preserved before it dies out.
Pun: A pun is a literary device that is also known as a “play on words.” Puns involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings. Some of the examples are “tillage”, “image” and “husbandry.”
Rhetorical Question: Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked in order to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear. Shakespeare has posed rhetorical questions at many places in the poem to emphasize his point, such as, “Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?” and “Of his self-love, to stop posterity?”
Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. “April of her prime” and “thy golden time” symbolize beauty.

Analysis of Poetic Used in Devices in “Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest”

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 verse in a couplet, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme. This sonnet ends with a couplet, which usually reveals the central idea of the poem. For example,

“But if thou live rememb’red not to be,
Die single, and thine image dies with thee.”

End Rhyme: The end rhyme is the rhyming of the end words. Shakespeare has used end rhyme in this poem such as; “be/thee”, “prime/time” and “another/mother.”
Iambic Pentameter: It is a type of meter having five iambs per line. The poem follows iambic pentameter such as; “Now is the time that face should form another.”
Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme in the first two stanzas, whereas the couplet follows ABAB rhyme scheme.
Sonnet: A sonnet is a fourteen-lined poem usually written in iambic pentameter. This Shakespearean sonnet comprises an octave and a sestet.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are appropriate to use in a speech while talking about the fragility of life.