SHAKESPEARE-Sonnet XIX- .
The poem is a sonnet without title because it belongs to a series of sonnets written by Shakespeare. It's constructed with 3 quatrains and a final couplet. Its rhyme is distributed in this way ABAB CDCD EGEG HH and the type of rhyme is one-syllable rhyme ( masculine). The poem follows the iambic pattern (x) and the main structure is the iambic pentameter- five feets in each line-. There are also some deviations that break the pattern which can be significative and will be commented.
THEME.
The poet declares the prospect of immortality for the youth- the poet's love- through his verse. The dominant theme is the destructive power of time ( killing sweetness and beauty everywhere), countered only by the force of love and the permanence of poetry.
STRUCTURE AND CONTENT.
In the first quatrain; the poet is addressing time. It makes a general introduction of the "devouring Time- effects on wild animals - lion, tiger_. It offers us examples of the ravages of time.
In the 2nd quatrain ; the poet is conscious of the passing of Time as it's mentioned the process of the seasons and doesn't think he can hold back Time, and therefore allows it to do whatever he wishes. At the end of this quatrain there's a change imposing Time a temporary prohibition.
The 3rd quatrain passes from the general to the particular. The poet asks Time not to touch his love in order to avoid making him old and begs him the poet's love remains as an ideal example of beauty for future generations.
In the couplet there's contrast. Resignation on the part of the poet is perceived because tiem cannot be stopped, whatever we do. The couplet is used as a turning point to tell us that immortal youth can be achieved for "my love-- the young man- by means of verses in his poetry. .
There's a clear relation between structure and content. The purpose of the poem is clarity, simplicity and directness.