Presentation Topic: Sonnet No 1
“From the fairest creatures we desire increase”
By William Shakespeare
Presanter : Hussain Ali [ khan Azaad]
Reg No# : 2018-KIU-095
Department : Linguistics and Literature (KIU)
Introduction;
“From fairest creatures we desire increase” is
first of William Shakespeare ’s 154 sonnets,
published in 1609. the first 17 sonnets are
known as the procreation sonnets because
they are aimed at mysterious “fair youth”,
urging him to marry and have of spring before
it’s too late.
That’s why these are called procreation sonnets.
Sonnet 1 begins with a reference to
physical beauty of fairest creature. Then
challenge the young man’s lack of desire
for heir. The sonnet’s first four line
related to important themes: 1.
immortality 2. time 3. Procreation 4.
selfishness. Each of the four line
addressed separate issue.
Views about sonnet 1:
Helen Vendler:
This sonnet can be an index to the rest
of the sonnets, it seems a self-conscious ground work
for the rest.
Phlip Martin :
Phlip states that sonnet 1 is important to
the rest because it states the themes for sonnets
immediately following and also for the sequence at
large.
Line 1
“from the fairest creature we desire increase”
Its concern is procreation means the world want beautiful
people to have children. They want the best-looking
people, Handsome generation to have children that their
beauty can be appreciated by future generation. We is
taken to mean “the world”
Line 2 “ that thereby beauty’s rose might never die”
means we desire beautiful creatures to multiply, in order to
preserve their beauty “rose” for the world. When the
parents pass away, their children can pass on their beauty’s
( memory) legacy to the internal rhyme of thereby/die
means the line hold tightly this ides of long lasting truth
Line 3 “ But as the riper should by time decease”
It present the theme of time’s unceasing progress. The
basic meaning here is that as we get older and riper we soon
die. For once the elder has passed away his young will share
the memory of his ancestors’ beauty ( and may look like the
elders)
Line 4 “ his tender heir might bear his memory”
This line combines all three concerns, it means when the
parents dies the child he leaves behind will remind us of
their beauty. According to the sonnet’s 1st quatrain poet
procreating ensures that our name will be carried on by our
children. If we do not have children however, our name will
die
2nd Quatrain
Line 5 “ But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes”
This line is directly at fair youth/young man. The poet
suggesting that young man is pledge to himself, as in betrothal,
but reduced to small scope of his own eyes. The young man is the
embodiment of narcissism ad destructive excessive love of oneself.
Line 6 feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel”
Shakespeare than goes on to give the imagery of a candle eating
itself. Meaning this fair youth is too wrapped in himself. Burning
the candle at both ends and not sharing his light with the world.
“ but you , obsessed with your own beauty, selfishly consume all of
that beauty’s light
Line 7 “ making a famine where abundance lies”
means that the fair youth has so much to give to the world
but offers only meager serapes. He is showing the world of
your beauty rather than separating their wealth around.
line 8 “ thy self foe, to thy sweet self to cruel”
the speaker says that this makes the young man his own
unwitting enemy. This man has a sweet personality but he is
his own worst enemy.
“ depriving the world of that beauty when there is plenty to be
had by all: you are cruel to your own sweet self. For not having
a child to carry on you memory are burying you self-satisfied
beauty within yourself, and wasting it by being selfish”
Line 9 “ than that art now the world’s fresh ornament”
In this line poet pointing a finger directly to this fair youth and
saying that now this man is the most handsome man in the
world.
Line 10 “ And only herald (sign, person to the gaudy spring”
Means you are the only person as beautiful fresh as spring time.
Speaker attempts to cajole (persuade) the fair youth into
marriage. The world herald means a sign of something about
to happen. In this case excessively showy spring.
“ you, who are now a beautiful thing on the earth, and the
one who announces the coming of spring”
Line 11 “ within thine own bud burriest thy content”
Means young man’s beauty is like a new bud and he is letting die before it can
bloom/develop. His potential is buried. Tight held in the non blooming bud.
Line 12 “And tender churl, mark’st waste in niggarding”
Poet says act like an old miser. You are wasting your beauty by hogging it and
keeping it to yourself.
“ depriving the world of that beauty when there is plenty to be had by all: you
are cruel to your own sweet self. For not having a child to carry on you
memory are burying you self-satisfied beauty within yourself, and wasting it
by being selfish”
Couplet explanation
Line 13 “ pity the world, or else this glutton be”
Line 14 “ To eat the world’s due by the grave and thee”.
the last two lines reinforce the injustice of the youth’s not
sharing his beauty with the world. Poet says, take on pity
on the rest of us, or this is how you will be remembered
as the greedy being who hogged (control) his own beauty
and took it with him to the grave. the world needs your
offspring but you have denied it, not only with your own
death but buy leaving this world childless.
Have pity on the world and bear a child, otherwise you
are a glutton, keeping your beauty to yourself by
taking it with you to grave.
Structure:
Three Quatrain and a couplet written in Iambic
pentameter.
Rhyming scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
Oxymoron: in “tender” & “churl”
Alliteration: [line 1, 4, 6, 8, 11] repetition of sounds used
to convey message beauty.
Metaphor : [line 2] man’s beauty compares to “rose”
Symbolism [line 2, 6, 9] “rose” “flame” & “fresh
ornament”. All represent human being’s beauty.
Religious reference: [line 13, 14] glutton is one of the
seven deadly sins.
Duty of human beings is to follows the God’s plan of
reproduction/procreation
Thank you for
your kind
attention
