Poetry has been a tool for many writers and ordinary people to express their feelings in ways that normal everyday conversations cannot. Shakespeare has composed numerous poems that dealt with his love interests, such as “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116.” The two sonnets describe the person that he loved dearly and he described them using various poetic devices. “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116” share in common many of the same poetic devices; iambic pentameter, enjambment and lastly, allusion.
First of all, these two sonnets contain iambic pentameter. In the first line of “Sonnet 18”, Shakespeare writes, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (Shakespeare). If this line was split up into pairs of beats it would look like: “Shall I, compare, thee to, a sum-, -mer’s day?”. (Shakespeare) By adding the up the number of beats there would be five pairs of beats in a line, which constitutes for an iambic pentameter. Correspondingly, in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116” on the first line, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds.” (Shakespeare) there is also an iambic pentameter. Again by separating the beats, the first line of “Sonnet 116” would look like “Let me, not to, the mar-, riage of, true minds.” (Shakespeare) There would be five pairs of beats in a line and thus proving that Sonnet 116 contains an iambic pentameter. Shakespeare used this poetic device to allow the lines in his poems to sound symmetrical to one other and to sound pleasant to the reader’s ear if he/she reads aloud. Beyond doubt, “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116” contain the same poetic device, iambic pentameter.
In the same way, both “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116” contain instances where the poetic device, enjambment is used. Shakespeare utilizes this poetic device in “Sonnet 18”, line 9-10, “But thy eternal summer shall not fade-Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;” (Shakespeare). “Fade” from the last word of line 9, and “nor” from the first word of line 10 are not separated by a period, so therefore it is an enjambment. Likewise in “Sonnet 116” in line 2-3, “Love is not love-which alters when it alterations finds,” (Shakespeare). The words “love” and “which” are not separated by a period as well, classifying it as a usage of enjambment. Shakespeare used this certain poetic device because he needed to separate his poem lines into ten syllables, and enjambment was a method doing this that allowed him to write what desired, while keeping an iambic pentameter. With this evidence, both “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116” clearly show the usage of enjambment.
Lastly, Shakespeare incorporated allusions in both “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116”. For example in “Sonnet 18” line 5, “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines.” (Shakespeare). Shakespeare is alluding “eye of heaven shines” to the sun because it shines, and temperature-wise, it is very hot. Shakespeare uses allusion again in “Sonnet 116” line 10, “Within his bending sickle’s compass come:” (Shakespeare). Shakespeare is referring to Death, who is said in legends to carry a sickle. He uses allusions in his poems to force the reader to think about what he is alluding to, and the allusions create a stronger mental image than blatantly saying “the sun” or “Death’s compass”. With these arguments, it is beyond question that these two sonnets contain allusion.
Iambic pentameter, enjambment, and allusion are prominently shown in both Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” and “Sonnet 116”. Shakespeare wrote these two sonnets as a way to compliment his love interests in words he wasn’t able to do in normal conversation. He used a variety of poetic devices in ways to allow his poems to sound more pleasant and well-thought out. Poetry is definitely an artistic output of English, used to describe a multitude of different subjects anywhere from war, to love.