Both readings are not particularly masculine-in Shakespeare's contemporary literature, blushes are often associated with young maidens and their rosy cheeks, while fashion and clothing are womanly pursuits. ... Indeed, the meter sets the melancholic tone of the poem, ending each line on an unaccented syllable and, quite literally, a "down note". ...
However, it is also questionable whether or not the reader has much room to take any individual meaning from a sonnet as they would be able to with other pieces of literature, as its strict contextual nature and rules that define its genre allow for limited variation across sonnet writing and therefore would appear to only present us with a single type of writing and style. ... Although there isn't necessarily a "clear" volta in terms of its use as a "twist," something Paul Fussell notes as "indeed indispensable" due to its lack of execution, we see the seventh and eighth line summarize t...
