Comparing and Contrasting Sonnet 130 and Ars Poetica Essay

“Change what you observe by changing how you see” (Huie). This quote pertains to “Sonnet 145, ” by simply William Shakespeare and “Ars Poetica, ” by simply Archibald Mac Leish. Sonnet 130 is all about the problems of his mistress, nevertheless realizes right at the end of the composition, that his love is all that matters. This man would not see his mistress while an ugly woman, yet instead observed her because someone who he adores dearly.

In different ways, Ars Poetica states that “a poem should not indicate, but be” (MacLeish 23). People who examine a composition may try to interpret the real that means, but there is really nothing to interpret. A composition should just mean what it says. Although equally “Sonnet 140, ” simply by William Shakespeare and “Ars Poetica, “by Archibald MacLeish include similar styles such as convenience, and comparable devices such as using images to describe beauty and character, they have different meanings, since one composition seems to anticipate a considerable amount by a mistress, and the additional poem needs nothing of the poem.

A single similarity between “Sonnet 130” and “Ars Poetica” is their styles of seeking nothing but simpleness in a composition and a mistress (stated in the last couplet), and take pleasure in and devoutness. When browsing “Sonnet 130” one may possibly think that this man spends his time complaining about his mistress, and clearly dosen’t love her, however , by the end of the poem he understands that his mistress is probably not beautiful, but their love is beautiful, and that is all that matters. “And yet, by simply heaven, I do think my love since rare” (Shakespeare 13). In “Ars Poetica, ” MacLeish explains that “a poem should be wordless” (7) and “a poem should be motionless in time” (9).

A single might be puzzled by what the poem is really trying to declare, but this individual ended the poem by saying, “a poem probably should not mean, although be” (23), which was a clearer assertion. As was said just before, a composition is certainly not something persons should over analyze, it may just make you are feeling the way it does. Almost ike a piece of art or statue, a composition is not just a puzzle, yet a disposition or a feeling.

Both poetry seem to have different views on what to anticipate from a mistress/poem. In “Sonnet 130, ” William shakespeare expects significant amounts of things via his mistress. There are twelve lines talking about the letdown of his mistress’ eyes, lips, frizzy hair, cheeks, inhale, voice, and how she moves. Lines such as her sight “are nothing can beat the sun” (Shakespeare 1), her lip area are less red than coral, and her hairs are just like black wire connections growing on her head, present how low he is for these unattractive qualities. “Ars Poetica” is completely different in this manner.

MacLeish says, “A composition should be evidente and mute” (1), and “Dumb since old medallions to the thumb” (3). These types of words illustrate how this individual believes that poetry ought to be different than what society expects them to end up being. He desires nothing of the poem, although just believes that poetry should be what ever they want to be.

Another likeness between “Sonnet 130” and “Ars Poetica” would be that they both work with imagery to compare beauty and character. “Sonnet 130” used this gadget, to demonstrate the nature of beauty through imagery. “I have seen tulips damask’d, white and red, but zero such roses see I in her cheeks” (Shakespeare 5). This kind of compares his mistress’ cheeks to the beauty of a increased. “Ars Poetica” has many lines that use symbolism, one of which will compares words to the trip of chickens, “a composition should be wordless as the flight of birds” (MacLeish 7).

Both equally writers did an impeccable job using images to enhance readers understanding and use descriptive words to help make the poem more beautiful and interesting sounding. “Ars Poetica” and “Sonnet 130” are very similar in the way that they can both have a similar theme of simplicity and affection. “Ars Poetica” wanting a poem be in it’s simplest terms and wanting that to suggest only just what says. Although in “Sonnet 130” Shakespeare does apparently expect a lot from a mistress, this individual states by the end of the composition, that this individual wants nothing more than the mistress he provides. Another similarity is that they equally compare natural beauty and nature.

This device utilized purely to entice someone, and generate it much easier for you to understand. A single essential big difference between the two poems, will be that in “Ars Poetica, the poet person strongly feels that a poem should be “wordless” and simple, nearly careless. Nevertheless , in “Sonnet 130, ” Shakespeare spends most of the composition taking about his mistress’ unattractive features and seems quite expecting of a number of things.

Analyzing these crucial similarities and differences happen to be what ensure that the reader be familiar with poem towards a more analyitical method.