Best Spring Poems: Sonnet 98 By William Shakespeare
Biography of William Shakespeare:
William Shakespeare, often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon,” was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564. He was baptized on April 26, 1564, and is traditionally believed to have been born on April 23, 1564. Shakespeare’s exact date of birth is unknown. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a successful tradesman, and Mary Arden, a local landed heiress.
Little is known about Shakespeare’s early life, but by 1592, he was an established playwright in London, known for his work on the stage. Over the course of his career, Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His works encompass a wide range of genres, including tragedy, comedy, and history, and are celebrated for their poetic language, complex characters, and exploration of human nature.
Shakespeare’s legacy is unparalleled in English literature, with his plays still being performed and studied worldwide. He died on April 23, 1616, in Stratford-upon-Avon, leaving behind a body of work that continues to captivate audiences and inspire generations of writers and artists.
Spring Poems: Sonnet 98 by William Shakespeare
Sonnet 98 – William Shakespeare
From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue
Could make me any summer’s story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.
Nor did I wonder at the lily”s white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seemed it winter still, and you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.
Structure of the Poem
The poem follows a structured form, specifically the Shakespearean or English sonnet form, with a consistent rhyme scheme and meter.
It is a sonnet composed of 14 lines. It follows the typical Shakespearean or English sonnet form, with three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a concluding couplet (two-line stanza). Each line is written in iambic pentameter, with ten syllables per line, and the rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.
Meaning and Interpretation of the Poem:
In this sonnet, Shakespeare expresses the idea of absence despite the presence of spring, traditionally a season associated with renewal and vitality. Despite the beauty and vibrancy of spring, the speaker feels a sense of emptiness and coldness because of the absence of the person addressed in the poem. The speaker compares the natural beauty of spring to the beloved, finding that even the most beautiful aspects of nature pale in comparison to the person they miss.
The poem explores themes of longing, loss, and the power of love to transform one’s perception of the world. Despite the rejuvenating qualities of spring, the speaker feels a sense of winter-like desolation in the absence of their beloved.
True or False Comprehension Task:
- Shakespeare was born in London, England. (False)
- Shakespeare’s exact date of birth is not known. (True)
- The poem celebrates the arrival of spring. (False)
- The speaker finds comfort in the beauty of nature despite the absence of the beloved. (False)
- The poem is written in free verse. (False)
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