WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S “SONNET 55” WITH WALT WHITMAN’S “FULL OF LIFE NOW

Compare and contrast William “Shakespeare’s Sonnet 55” with Walt Whitman’s “Full of Life Now. In doing so, you should decide how, or whether, they take on a similar problem. What are they after? How do they go about it? How do they apply the form differently to get at their basic idea? How does the poetic form affect meaning? You may access author biographies to help answer.

“Sonnet 55” by William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman’s “Full of Life Now” belong to different periods of literature and showcase distinct poetic styles, yet they share some common themes while employing different approaches in their exploration of the human experience.

William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 55”:

• Form and Structure: “Sonnet 55” is a classic example of a Shakespearean sonnet, consisting of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG.
• Central Theme: The sonnet addresses the theme of immortality through verse, expressing the poet’s belief that his words will outlive the destructive forces of time and preserve the beauty of the subject for eternity.
• Approach: Shakespeare employs metaphor and vivid imagery to convey the enduring power of his poetry. He compares his verse to a monument that will withstand the ravages of time and war.
• Purpose: The sonnet seeks to immortalize the beauty of the subject, defying the transience of life and the inevitable decay brought by time.

Walt Whitman’s “Full of Life Now”:

• Form and Structure: Whitman’s poem is written in free verse, a form he often utilized in his works, characterized by the absence of a regular rhyme scheme or meter. This form aligns with Whitman’s unconventional and expansive style.
• Central Theme: “Full of Life Now” explores the celebration of life and the affirmation of the present moment. Whitman rejoices in the vitality and diversity of the world around him.
• Approach: Unlike Shakespeare’s structured sonnet, Whitman’s free verse allows for a more organic and unrestrained expression. He employs a list-like structure, cataloging various aspects of life, nature, and human experience.
• Purpose: Whitman’s poem is a celebration of the present, rejecting the notion of immortality or the need to preserve beauty through art. Instead, he embraces the richness of life as it exists in the here and now.

Comparison:

• Common Theme: Both poems, despite their stylistic differences, touch upon the theme of the enduring nature of beauty. While Shakespeare seeks to achieve immortality through the permanence of verse, Whitman finds immortality in the ever-changing, vibrant tapestry of life itself.
• Approach to Time: Shakespeare confronts the destructive forces of time and seeks to counteract its effects through art, while Whitman embraces the fleeting nature of time, finding beauty and meaning in the present moment.
• Poetic Form: The choice of poetic form greatly influences the meaning and delivery of the poems. Shakespeare’s structured sonnet reflects a carefully crafted argument, while Whitman’s free verse mirrors the spontaneity and diversity of life.

In summary, while Shakespeare and Whitman approach the theme of immortality and the endurance of beauty, they do so through distinct stylistic choices and perspectives on time and life. Shakespeare relies on the structured elegance of the sonnet, while Whitman embraces the freedom of free verse to capture the dynamic essence of the present moment.