William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Sonnet 18 乐山师范学院外国语学院 许晓琴 教授、博士
Introduction to William Shakespeare
Introduction to William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is universally regarded as the greatest dramatist and the finest poet of the English language. He lived in England during the era of Queen Elizabeth I of which historian consider the Elizabethan Age as a peak of English culture.
The exact birth date of William Shakespeare is unknown, however, based on the record of the parish register, he was baptized on April 26, 1564 in the Holy Trinity Church and buried there on April 25, 1616. According to the custom at that time, infants were usually baptized three days after their birth. And Shakespeare's birthday is usually celebrated on April 23, also the date of his death, he died at the age of 52.
Shakespeare is not only the greatest but also the most powerful and influential of the English writers and poets, he is the master of early modern English, with his profound understanding of human nature and his ability to create such vivid and interesting characters, Shakespeare definitely has had a direct significant influence in the shaping of English literature and the development of the English language.
What is a Sonnet? A sonnet is a 14-line poem that rhymes in a particular pattern. Shakespeare’s sonnets are written in a strict poetic form that was very popular during his lifetime. Broadly speaking, each sonnet engages images and sounds to present an argument to the reader.
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare Sonnet 18 is the best known and most well-loved of all 154 sonnets. It is also one of the most straightforward in language and intent. The stability of love and its power is the theme.
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare Audio http://listen.ciwong.com/resview.aspx?id=8241&bid=38 (01:34) http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/fzGtlJLcoAk/ (02:10)
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Shall I compare you to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: You are more lovely and more constant: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, Rough winds shake the beloved buds of May And summer's lease hath all too short a date: And summer is far too short: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, At times the sun is too hot,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; Or often goes behind the clouds; And every fair from fair sometime declines, And everything beautiful sometime will lose its beauty, By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; By misfortune or by nature's planned out course. But thy eternal summer shall not fade But your youth shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor will you lose the beauty that you possess;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, Nor will death claim you for his own, When in eternal lines to time thou growest: Because in my eternal verse you will live forever. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long as there are people on this earth, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. So long will this poem live on, making you immortal.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date: 我不知能否将你比作夏天？ 你比夏天更温和也更可爱。 狂风把五月的花蕊摧残， 夏季时光匆匆总是如此短暂：
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm‘d， And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm‘d ： 有时炙热异常，像天上灼烧的眼， 它那金色的面容常飘忽闪现。 再美好的事物也终将凋残， 随时间和自然的变化而流转。
But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest: 但是你的夏日会永远鲜艳， 你将永远拥有这俊美的容颜。 死神也无法夸口让你在它的阴影里逗留， 当你在这不朽的诗句中永远地生息留守：
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. 只要人类还在呼吸，只要眼睛还在阅读， 我这首诗就会存在，你的生命就会绵延。
Summary and Analysis Sonnet 18 is one of the best-known of the 154 sonnets written by William Shakespeare. In the sonnet the poet compares his beloved to the summer season, and argues that his beloved is better. The poet also states that his beloved will live on forever through the words of the poem. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Z5gCxHmxHec/ (03:35)
Appreciation Sonnet 18 Videos http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/TeNbfK3-E-U/ (02:53) 电影片段 http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Tyo68mf_eck/?FR=LIAN (03:00)女声独唱 http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/5DvSrGiiw_A/ (01:08) 男声朗诵
Study Questions Sonnet 18 is one of the most famous poems in the English language. Why do you think this is the case? How does the speaker use natural imagery to create a picture of the young man’s beauty?