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The “When forty winters shall besiege thy brow” or “Sonnet II” belongs to Shakespeare’s series published in 1606. Main themes of the poems are transience of the beauty and brevity of terrene life.
The Shakespeare’s poem is an English sonnet in form of monologue. It consists of 14 verses of iambic pentameter. We can divide it into three quatrains, in which poet established the problem, and couplet which offers a solution and summon the idea of the whole. Sonnet follows the rhyming pattern ‘abab cdcd efef gg’. Shakespeare uses variety of literary devices to create memorable and powerful poem. Definitely one of the most important ones are exaggerated and complex metaphors, the way in which poet depicts process of aging is much hyperbolised. There also appears devices such as personification (“all-eating shame”), exclamation (“Proving his beauty by succession thine!”), epithets (“proud livery”, “lusty days”), lexical repetitions (“where all thy beauty lies, Where all the treasure”), rhetorical question (“How much more praise deserved thy beauty's use”).
Speaker in the poem is definitely man, maybe Shakespeare himself. In the monologue he preaches (presumably) his young friend. We can figure out that there is an age gap between two men. Lyrical I is older, wiser and more experienced. He tries to compel the addressee to the refection on time’s passing and aging.
In first verses speaker in metaphorical way pictures the process of getting old. The army of “forty winters” attacks the castle of youth. It brings damage and destroys whole beauty. Splendid livery, which everyone have once admired turns into grey tatter. All the charm and energy disappear. Sunken eyes and wrinkles deform handsome face. The picture that Lyrical I is painting is terrifying, aging is depicted as a nightmare. Speaker definitely tries to scare his young friend with negatively exaggerated perspective of antiquity. Opening lines of the sonnet put the reader into bleak and sad mood. Manipulating our imaginary with pictures of cold winter and army destroying the castle, Shakespeare intensifies pessimistic emotions.
In 10 verse speaker suddenly changes his tone. He offers solution that would turn sadness of old ages into happiness. Lyrical I suggest that offspring gives an immortality to its father. All his beauty, youth, vigour and good virtues are handed down and possessed by his son. In last lines speaker paints a heart-warming picture. Energy and vitality of child gives father strength and sense of personal dignity. His own blood, pulsing in son’s veins is keeping him warm when the cold winter of old ages arrives.
By correlating opposite images in two different parts of the sonnet, and creating the contrast between cold, bleak description of old ages, and warm, serene picture depicted in closing couplet, the poet emphasize the rightness of his statement.
For the addressee the message is very clear. Using great persuasion and manipulating his friend’s imaginary, speaker proves that soon time will divest young man of everything he possess and only way to defeat it is having a baby that will affirm its father greatness.
Shakespeare’s poem proclaims the importance of children in the Renaissance. Recognized as symbol of purity and holiness in Romanticism, now are given another virtue. In them is preserved their parents’ immortality.
By use of literary devices and elaborate vocabulary Shakespeare creates poetic masterpiece. In addition, regularity in versification and rhymes make the poem melic and very readable. Although sonnets are not as popular as Shakespeare’s dramatic plays, they definitely confirm the poet’s genius and artistry. Not only do they enrapture with masterly style but also convey universal truths.