Literary Terms for Sonnet 138 Manisha Reddy March 22, 2007 |
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Sonnet 138
When my love swears that she is made of truth
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Verisimilitude |
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
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Ambiguity, Irony, Satire |
That she might think me some untutor'd youth,
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Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.
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Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
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Repetition of thinking |
Although she knows my days are past the best,
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Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
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On both sides thus is simply truth suppress'd.
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Irony |
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
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Parallelism, Rhetorical Question |
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
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Parallelism, Rhetorical Question |
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust,
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Personification |
And age in love loves not to have years told:
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Personification |
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
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Pun, irony, ambiguity |
And in our faults by lies we flatter'd be.
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Pun, irony, ambiguity |
-Repetition of the word "lies" which has a double meaning.
-Understatement occurs throughout the whole poem; the couple simply does not acknowledge the seriousness of their deceit and dishonesty.
-Diction has a profound effect on the entire poem; through the use of diction, Shakespeare is able to create ambiguity and the irony of the poem.
-Interior Monologue: Shakespeare shares his point of view by sharing his thought process about his relationship with "The Dark Lady."
-Conflict in this poem is between the poet and himself and the poet and his mistress; he accepts her deceit and flattery and in doing so lies to himself although he knows what he has done.