The Use Of Time In Poetry: Milton, Shakespeare, Wordsworth :: essays research papers

Throughout the Elizabethan and Ro humannesstic era, time and nature argon themes that are ever-present in thegreat poetry of the period. Although the poets presented this idea in different ways, it was clear that timeand nature were major influences on each mans writing and that each of them were, in a sense, extremelyfrustrated by the concept of time. It appeared to me that each poet, in some form, felt empty andunaccomplished, and they alone consider as true that time is not on their side. In Shakespeares SonnetLXXIII, the poet is an older man comparing his breeding to such things as night and day, the four seasons, andas a fire in a fire. Shakespeare uses these images to show us just how quickly time passes. I found his representation of life as the cycle of day and night particularly insightful. In me thou seest the twilight of such dayAs after sundown fadeth in the west,Which by and by blacken night doth take away,Deaths second self, that seals up all in rest.To Shakespeare , dawn is the birth of a child, mid-day is a childs youth, and twilight, his currentstage, is the stage of life when terminal is approaching, although it has not yet arrived. The sun has set, andthe sky is a beautiful color, but the black night, death, will take that all away. He k without delays he is past his primeand now he just awaits death. It is easy to see that Shakespeare is quite frustrated because he knows thatdeath is coming, but he doesnt know when it is coming. The comparison of the cycle of day and night tothe cycle of life made me realize how hurried life is and how you should appreciate and make the most ofthe time you have. The phrase deaths second self is especially strong as he is saying that both timeyou go to sleep, it is like a small death. Every time you go to sleep, you lose another day. Shakespeareresolves this problem with a couplet that screams love me now while I am still here because when I amgone you will regret not loving me.Time is also a main theme in Miltons How Soon Hath Time. Milton, however, is concernedbecause he feels that he has nothing to show for his life and he is scared that death is approaching him. He personifies time, calling it the subtle thief of youth. At the age of 23, he cant believe how time is just