The timeless theme of love

Love and beauty are two obsessions that control us as humans. We desperately seek love as hopeless romantics and obsess over beauty as vain perfectionists. However, I believe this has been a trait carved into human behaviour long before we learnt to express it. It must be more than just a modern convention brought about by modern technology and literacy, to still riddle our society and shape the way we act. To explore this matter, we must look at what many consider the birthplace and apex of literature, the Elizabethan era. The Elizabethan era gave birth to some of the history’s greatest poets and literary minds such as William Shakespeare, John Donne and Edmund Spenser. Such figures have left us an archive of the most influential pieces of literature second only to biblical scriptures. Though for the purpose of our investigation into love and beauty I’ll be using two sonnets that felt particularly interesting to me; ‘my mistress’ eyes...’ and ‘Shall I compare thee..? Both by the godfather of modern literature, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare uses these as a way to express his views of what is more important in love; beauty or personality? Using these two sonnets, we’ll explore whether love and beauty are still relevant to us as modern Australians.

In his sonnet ‘My mistress’ eyes…’ William Shakespeare throws us a curve ball when he challenges our pre-conceptions on how love should be expressed. When expressing or proposing our love to that special someone we typically make exaggerated compliments and comparisons. Instead of typical comparisons to beauty, Sonnet 130 leads on the off foot by instead contrasting the difference in beauty between his love interests and commonly referred to comparisons. His different approach in expressing his love really drew me in. Such grand and zealous confessions of love even in idle and ineffectual relationships have squandered any rea sincerity and effect to the point of non-existence. Shakespeare’s approach is refreshing and shows thought and reflection on his true feeling regarding his love interest, an arguably rare thing in Australia today.

William Shakespeare’s first line contrasts the beauty in his supposed beloved’s eyes saying ’My Mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun’. Line after line the sonnet explores that the target of the poem is not exceptionally beautiful saying things like ’I have seen roses damask’d in red and white; but no such roses in her cheeks’. While I remain somewhat apathetic to the dramatised confessions of affection so popular today, I was starting to doubt and second guess its true intent. Just when this love poem seems more like an insult, Shakespeare reveals the true nature of the message in the last two lines.

‘And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare’

Shakespeare explains that love does not need unreasonable comparisons and that his love looks beyond extravagant beauty. Similarly, we see this in modern times, the weight of one’s love based upon beauty. Even today in modern Australia, people debate and argue whether it’s fair to judge and appreciate someone in regards to their appearance. It’s a part of every living creature to choose the most suitable partner, I feel judging someone on their needs is petty and obnoxious. It my opinion that people should be free to choose based upon their own reasoning, and while not explicitly said I feel Shakespeare would be in agreeance.

’Shall I compare thee…?’ also known as Sonnet 18; written in a notably similar fashion of contrasting differences between his love interest and things typically associated with beauty; A technique I’m slowly falling in love with. The sonnet begins with the opening question ’Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ This question is important in establishing the structure and interpretation of the poem, which consists of responses to the previously posed question. By using the first line in such a way persuades us to assume proceeding lines will consist of romantic comparisons and exaggerated flattery since summer is most commonly associated with radiant beauty and warmth. Instead, the lines that follow in short say that the target is in fact not like summer.

Instead of referring to summer’s beauty, the poem refers to the nature of summer with the line such as ’summers lease hath too short a date’ and ’Thou art more lovely and temperate’. This is a theme Shakespeare continues with until the last two lines, where he cements the meaning and theme of the poem. The last two lines

‘So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see.

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee’.

Shakespeare believes that summer’s beauty comes and goes, but his love interest’s beauty goes beyond initial appearance and will live on in this poem. I find myself devoid of any real interest in the matter. However, I explain I feel these people use this argument to push their own benefit and are implacable. The claim that judging someone based on their appearance is shallow is true, but judging them solely upon their personality is equally so. In my eyes, this argument is ridiculous and only used as a way to push for their own benefit. I may have felt different or at the very least sympathetic to the cause, had they shown as deep a level of thought and intelligence that I have begun to love exhibited by Shakespeare in these sonnets.

These themes appear to be relevant not only to the Elizabethan times but also modern Australians. Many Australians feel that the media places unfair expectations of beauty and that these expectations are not realistic representations of the general public, particularly women. Personally, this holds little relevance to myself, I feel that these representations motivate people to strive for perfection and only negatively affect people who can’t differ reality from fantasy or lack the willpower to strive for such images. Modern Australians as a majority seem to feel these representations place too much importance on appearance, encouraging shallow vanity. The sonnets haven’t changed my opinion on this debate but instead have provided a new angle that only broadens my knowledge on the topic. We find this dispute even in Shakespeare’s sonnets which are hundreds of years old. This timeless relevance is why we still marvel at such literature even today, searching for answers to our endless questions about what makes us human. The different and striking techniques William Shakespeare has used to express sheds a new light on the subject and has made a lasting impression on how I feel about Elizabethan poetry.

Even after nearly five hundred years, Elizabethan literature finds relevance in modern Australia. Themes of love, beauty, death along with the power of literature still apply to new-age writing and modern society, thanks to people’s curiosity and frustration on a topic that has no definitive answers. This very reason is why Shakespeare and other renowned writers are still studied in depth today and what influenced people to explore these themes. While we can dispute that love and beauty have been relevant themes the question remains; did these writers have such a modern opinions far beyond their time? Or are these topics are timeless themes that will always hold relevance to us as modern Australians? I hope that you’ll do as I have and explore the liturature left behind for us and find just what makes us human.

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