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How Does Shakespeare Use Alliteration In Sonnet 43

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In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43, the narrator of this poem speaks of a beloved form that is currently found only in his unconscious being. Someone special is missing from his life and the aching loneliness caused by this absence is only eased when the narrator enters a state of unconsciousness that he accomplishes only while sleeping. Shakespeare describes this beautiful dream world comprised of light and dark imagery using obvious paradoxes and various amounts of alliterations and assonances. An example of Shakespeare’s use of alliteration in Sonnet 43 can be easily seen in line one with the repetition of the “w” sound: “When most I wink, then do my eyes best see”. In this same line we can also spot a bit of assonance as the vowel sound “i” is repeated as well. A seeming contradiction appears as we read, “And darkly bright are bright in dark directed” (line 4). This line is a paradox because something cannot be dark and …show more content…

In line two, the narrator even states that everything else (the rest of the world) throughout the day is unworthy in his eyes. The narrator claims that seeing this special person in his dreams (“illuminates”) all other darkness from his life. The narrator then goes on to speak about how wonderful it would be to see his beloved in true foam and not the image he sees while sleeping. Although the dream image of his special someone is beautiful, it still falls short in comparison to the real thing. In lines thirteen and fourteen the narrator states, “All days are nights to see till I see thee, And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.” The narrator claims his life is to be filled of emotional darkness until the day comes where they meet again. Each dark day, he looks forward to the literal night for it is figuratively brighter by the chance of him seeing his beloved in his

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