SONNET 146 by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE| line by line analysis structure| rhyme scheme| summary| in hindi

#sonnet146 #literarydevices #Shakespeare146 Sonnet introduction :    • Sonnet (An Introduction)( explained in Hindi)   Sonnet & its types :    • SONNET (SHAKESPEAREAN & PETRARCHAN)(EXPLAI...   meter (iambic pentameter):    • Meter in Poetry | Iambic pentameter | TROC...   enjambment :    • Enjambment with notes and examples || end ...   alliteration :    • Alliteration with notes | explained in hin...   Archaic words (thou, thee, thy, etc.) :    • Archaic words |THOU | THY | THINE | THEE |...   Facebook page :  / swarnshikha28   Sonnet 146: Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth, [......] these rebel powers that thee array, Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth, Painting thy outward walls so costly gay? Why so large cost, having so short a lease, Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend? Shall worms, inheritors of this excess, Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body's end? Then soul, live thou upon thy servant's loss And let that pine to aggravate thy store; Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross; Within be fed, without be rich no more. So shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men, And, Death once dead, there's no more dying then. WORD MEANINGS : 1. Array : to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire : adorn; to place or arrange something in a particular way;  a collection of items  2. Pine : to strongly desire esp. something that is difficult or impossible to obtain 3. Dearth : a lack of something; not enough of something. 4. Gay : bright and pleasant. 5. Lease : a legal agreement that allows you to use a building or land for a fixed period of time in return for rent. 6. Dross : something regarded as worthless; rubbish. 7. Aggravate : to make worse or more severe. ‘Sonnet 146‘ is one of William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets. It is one of several poems in the ‘Dark Lady’ sequence of sonnets. These poems contend with the speaker’s love for a woman who treats him with contempt and cruelty. In ‘Sonnet 146,’ the speaker talks to the soul, attempting to convince it to focus on inward spirituality and stop allowing him to spend so much time concerned about the physical world. Considering the previous sonnets, it seems unlikely that the speaker is going to be able to cut off ties with the woman who consumes his every thought. The sonnet is notable for its uncharacteristically religious tone and call for moral richness, whereas most sonnets treasure earthly qualities of beauty and love. SUMMARY The speaker addresses his soul, which he pictures as a poor or empty interior, as opposed to his body, a gaudy exterior. He questions the soul's "large cost" lavished on a body which will shortly die. Continuing his financial metaphor, he urges the soul to turn the body's inevitable loss into the soul's gain. Thus as death feeds on men, the soul can feed on death, rendering the soul immortal. STRUCTURE Sonnet 146 is an English or Shakespearean sonnet. The English sonnet has three quatrains, followed by a final rhyming couplet. It follows the typical rhyme scheme of the form ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and is composed in iambic pentameter, a type of poetic metre based on five pairs of metrically weak/strong syllabic positions. The 14th line exemplifies a regular iambic pentameter: × / × / × / × /× / And Death once dead, there's no more dying then. THEMES Throughout this poem, the poet engages with themes of immortality and sin. The poet’s speaker is well aware that the path he’s on isn’t one that leads to eternal life in Heaven, or any kind of pleasurable afterlife. He’s too focused on the physical world, and it’s made him into a far more sinful person. The speaker is thinking specifically about his obsession with the Dark Lady. He’s well aware of how unhealthy it is, and he wants, on some level, to get rid of it. He pleads with his soul to force him away from the physical world and into the spiritual world. Literary Devices Shakespeare makes use of several poetic techniques in ‘Sonnet 146’. These include but are not limited to examples of: Alliteration: the repetition of words with the same consonant sound. For example, “soul” and “sinful” in line one and “soul” and “servant” in line nine. Enjambment: occurs when the poet cuts off a line before its natural stopping point. For example, the transition between lines nine and ten. Apostrophe: occurs when the poet’s speaker addresses something or someone who can’t hear or respond to them. In this case, the speaker is talking to his soul. He regards it as his “Poor soul” in the first lines. What is the meaning of ‘Sonnet 146?’ The meaning is that someone who’s too concerned with outward/external appearance and pleasures should take the time to reassess their priorities. Inward/spiritual health is far more important.