Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 154 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 154   The little Love-god lying once incognizant Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand, Whilst many nymphs that vowd chaste life to keep Came tripping by but in her maiden hand The fairest votary took up that waken Which many legions of true hearts had warmd, And so the General of hot desire Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarmd. This brand she quenched in a cool well by, Which from Loves fire took heat perpetual, Growing a bath and healthful remedy For men diseasd. But, I, my mistress thrall, Came there for cure and this by that I prove Loves fire heats water, water cools not love.     This sonnet appears to be another version of 153 rather than one of a series. These two sonnets, two renderings of the same ides, could any prove or disprove Shakespeargons authorship. Only twice did Shakespeare rewrite any of his sonnets, both 138 and 144 appear slightly modified in _The Passionate Pilgrim_. These are evidence of Shakespeares rewr itings, but the scarce problem is if one is out to prove the authorship on these grounds, over-revision remains a factor that is, Shakespeare rewrote the two sonnets changing only a few words and not the entire sonnet. These seem to be the problems with citing Shakespeaare as their author, but equally disproving him as the author. If I were to argue for Shakespeares authorship, I would gibe the help of bath with being an allusion to The Wife of Baths Tale in Chaucers _Canterbury Tales_. Shakespeare used Chaucer as a source in _A Midsummer Nights Dream_ (from The Kinghts Tale and The Millers Tale), _Troilus and Cressida_ (from _Troilus and Criseyde) and _The ii Noble Kinsmen_ (from The Knights Tale). Seeing that Shakespeare used Chaucer as a reference in the past for help, I suppose the help of bath could be a tribut to Chaucer and thus a possible source or allusion. But this does remain on unsubstantial grounds due to the possibility of it simply meaning a water-filled basin.