Analysis of Sonnet 60

Literature 1-Formative Essay-Sonnet 60

Rebecca Fraser

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William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 60’ explores the themes of time and ageing through it’s complex narrative- as well as natural phenomena- in just a short fourteen lines. The sonnet’s rhyming scheme abides by the flow of all Shakespearean sonnet’s; iambic pentameter (ababcdcdefefgg) this is where the stanzas are separated into three quatrains which is followed by a rhyming couplet (gg).

The addressee of this specific sonnet is not entirely clear at the beginning of the fourteen lines. The speaker does not refer to a ‘thee’ or, similarly, a man or woman. An assumption could be made that the addressee is no one person in particular; instead the sonnet could possibly be viewed as a stream of consciousness or a collection of thoughts and ideas regarding the speaker’s feeling towards the issue of time. The poet is discussing issues in this sonnet which are relatable to all people, universally, instead of just one specific person as the issue of ageing is one which many different people can emphasise with.

“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, (L.1)

So do our minds hasten to their end” (L.2)

The use of the word ‘our’ could possibly point towards the poet discussing humanity ageing together over time, as a whole, instead of one specific person as the language in the first few lines can be seen as fairly general.

 However, the last two lines of the sonnet makes us question if, in fact, the speaker is addressing a lover.

“And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand (L.13)

Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand” (L.14)

This rhyming couplet gives an unexpected ending to the sonnet. The poet seems to find solace in the ageing process by articulating how he feels he has made the addressee (his lover) immortal by writing about her in his poetry.

This sonnet see’s Shakespeare use technique of lacing the fourteen lines with a collection of juxtaposing images to strengthen the imagery in the poem and possibly make the reader question if the speaker has, in fact, a positive or negative view on the process of ageing.

We see Shakespeare juxtapose imagery with ‘the main of light’, which is mentioned in line 5, with ‘crooked eclipses’. Similarly, there is an example of juxtaposition within the word choice in line 9, ‘Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth’. This is an interesting line in the sonnet as the words ‘transfix’ and ‘flourish’ are placed right next to each other despite their almost contradicting meanings.

The sonnet, as a whole, is a story on the journey of human life, the images, some contradicting, seem to show the bittersweet element of coming into old age and how quickly life passes.

“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, (L.1)

So do our minds hasten to their end (L.2)

Each changing place with that which goes before (L.3)

In sequent toil all forwards do contend”

These first lines refer to the speed of time; how rapidly the minutes/months/years in a human’s life moves. The waves can symbolise how time progresses in the one direction, never stopping for anyone or anything. ‘Hasten’ possibly tells us how time actually gets faster as we get older. This can be seen as an, all together, dynamic quatrain as each line has reference to movement.

“Nativity once in the main of light, (L.5)

Crawls to maturity; wherewith being crowned (L.6)

Crooked eclipses ‘gainst his glory fight (L.7)

And time, that gave, doth now his gift confound” (L.8)

Here we see Shakespeare essentially compress the journey of life into just four lines. Line 5 touches on the very beginning of life with the use of ‘nativity’ as a symbol for adolescence, with ‘main of light’ possibly referring to the idea that the early years of a person’s life are amongst the most important due to these being the years when you are most agile and able to live life; these are the years that people long for when they are looking back on their life.