William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 6, part of his famous collection of 154 sonnets, engages with themes of beauty, time, and procreation. The poem is not only a reflection on the fleeting nature of physical beauty but also a meditation on how beauty can be preserved, immortalized, and passed down through future generations. In this essay, we will explore the structure, themes, and literary devices used by Shakespeare in Sonnet 6, as well as interpret its meaning and relevance in the broader context of his sonnets.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 6
Then let not winter’s ragged hand deface
In thee thy summer ere thou be distilled.
Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some place
With beauty’s treasure ere it be self-killed.
That use is not forbidden usury
Which happies those that pay the willing loan;
That’s for thyself to breed another thee,
Or ten times happier, be it ten for one.
Ten times thyself were happier than thou art
If ten of thine ten times refigured thee;
Then what could death do if thou shouldst depart,
Leaving thee living in posterity?
Be not self-willed, for thou art much too fair
To be death’s conquest and make worms thine heir.
The Structure of the Sonnet
Sonnet 6 is written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, or English sonnet, consisting of 14 lines divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a final rhymed couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and it is written in iambic pentameter, a rhythmical pattern of ten syllables per line, with the stress on every second syllable. This meter, combined with the structured rhyme scheme, lends a sense of balance and harmony to the sonnet, reflecting the theme of beauty and its preservation.
The Central Theme: Beauty and Time
The central theme of Sonnet 6 is the relationship between beauty and time. Shakespeare examines the transient nature of human beauty, which is vulnerable to the inevitable passage of time. The speaker expresses a concern that the beauty of the young man to whom the sonnet is addressed will eventually fade and be lost to time. However, Shakespeare offers a solution: the young man can preserve his beauty, not by attempting to halt time, but by passing it on to future generations through procreation.
The first quatrain sets up the speaker’s contemplation of time and beauty. Shakespeare writes:
“Then let not Winter’s ragged hand deface
In thee thy summer, ere thou be distill’d;
Make sweet some fleeting moment, and in this
Short time, long life may be preserved.”
Here, the poet warns the young man not to let time (represented by Winter) mar his youthful beauty (represented by Summer). The metaphor of “Winter’s ragged hand” evokes the harshness of time’s passage, which threatens to destroy the beauty of youth. The line “ere thou be distill’d” suggests the idea of aging and death, where the person’s physical beauty is distilled and lost. However, Shakespeare doesn’t just focus on the destruction of beauty; he offers a counterpoint in the following lines: that through procreation, the young man can preserve his beauty beyond the confines of time.
Procreation as a Solution: The Preservation of Beauty
In the second quatrain, the poet introduces the idea of procreation as a means to safeguard the beauty of the young man:
“Make sweet some fleeting moment, and in this
Short time, long life may be preserved.”
The phrase “Make sweet some fleeting moment” suggests that the young man should find a way to make the most of his time, perhaps through fathering a child. By doing so, his beauty and vitality would not be lost but would live on through his descendants. The paradox in this line — “Short time, long life” — underscores the idea that although the young man’s life and beauty may be short-lived, the act of procreation can extend his essence and legacy beyond his own lifetime.
The Final Couplets: Legacy and Immortality
The final couplet in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 6 sums up the message of the poem:
“And, by the world, thy form and beauty still,
When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field,
Thy youth’s proud livery so gazed on still.”
Here, Shakespeare argues that even when the young man’s beauty fades with age (symbolized by “forty winters”), his beauty can be immortalized through his children. The phrase “thy form and beauty still” suggests that the sonnet’s speaker believes that the young man’s essence can live on, not in his own body, but through the legacy he leaves behind. The metaphor of “beauty’s field” and “youth’s proud livery” further evokes the idea of life as a battleground, where time, like a soldier, will attack youth’s beauty, but the legacy of youth — embodied in a child — will preserve that beauty for future generations.
Shakespeare’s Literary Devices
Shakespeare uses several literary devices to deepen the meaning of Sonnet 6 and enhance its emotional impact. Some of the key devices include:
Metaphor: Time is personified as “Winter’s ragged hand” and as a force that threatens to destroy beauty. Beauty itself is also depicted as a precious asset, subject to the ravages of time.
Imagery: The imagery of “Winter’s ragged hand” and “forty winters besieging thy brow” vividly conjures up the inevitable decay of the human body, while “youth’s proud livery” suggests the youthful vitality that is so easily lost with age.
Paradox: The phrase “Short time, long life” is a paradox that highlights the tension between the fleeting nature of physical beauty and the immortality that can be achieved through the continuation of life.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 6 is a meditation on the fleeting nature of human beauty and the ways in which it can be preserved in the face of time’s inevitable march. Through the act of procreation, the young man can create a legacy that ensures his beauty lives on, thus achieving a kind of immortality. This sonnet exemplifies Shakespeare’s profound understanding of human nature, time, and the ways in which we attempt to transcend our own mortality. In a broader sense, it speaks to the universal human desire to leave behind something meaningful, whether it be through art, legacy, or descendants — a desire that remains as relevant today as it was in Shakespeare’s time.
